


The tale of Le Paon

by Andromeda612



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adorable Marc Anciel, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Bisexual Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Bunnix - Freeform, But his health might, Cute Marc Anciel, Dorks in Love, Everybody is worried for Marc, Evil Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Evil Lila Rossi, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Bashing, Gay Marc Anciel, Guardian Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I hope ahre, Is more fluff than angst, Le Paon - Freeform, Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi Lies, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, M/M, Marc Anciel & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Friendship, Marc's life is not in danger, Miraculous Holder Marc Anciel, Miraculous Holder Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Miraculous Ladybug AU, Peacock Marc Anciel, Protective Marc Anciel, Protective Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Rooster Nathaniel, Sick Marc Anciel, Worried Duusu, Worried Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Worried Nathaniel Kurtzberg, broken miraculous, eventually, funny moments, kind of, worried family, worried friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:48:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26706247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromeda612/pseuds/Andromeda612
Summary: Gabriel Agreste repaired the peacock miraculous after Miracle Queen... or at least he thinks he did. The miraculous is not deadly anymore but is still broken, and when its kwami is freed from the damage of the jewel, the gears go into function and trigger the fallout of Paris' terrorist as well of a certain liar's kingdom.A new hero comes to protect Paris and its people in a way that nobody expected but everybody appreciate. Hawk Moth is even more further from getting the miraculous than before and his only ally left would be soon face the consequences of her own actions. Because even at the cost of his own health, Le Paon would not stop at anything to help his city and his beloved ones.When Duusu met this green eyed angel he knew things would turn out for the better, but he never thought he would be this happy, nor he thought he would ever feel this loved.
Relationships: Marc Anciel & Alix Kubdel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel & Duusu, Marc Anciel & Friends, Marc Anciel & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marc Anciel & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel & Orikko, Marc Anciel & People of Paris, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Nathaniel Kurtzberg & Duusu, Nathaniel Kurtzberg & Orikko, Orikko & Duusu
Comments: 50
Kudos: 104





	1. Duusu's lament

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kapane_luyeshu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kapane_luyeshu/gifts).



> Well, this awesome AU is not my idea, is from @Kapane_luyeshu. She made this wonderful drawings and I just couldn't help the inspiration and need to write a fic! Her ideas are as amazing as her drawings. We are working together to make this happening so we hope you like it!  
> You can find her work on Tumblr: https://kapane-luyeshu.tumblr.com/post/629550286858518528/boa-sorte-traduzindo-isso-eu-n%C3%A3o-sabia-como  
> You might see some hc in the fic, as well as some changes from canon, but well is an Au after all.  
> English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistake, updates may take time, but I assure you I'll be doing my best.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see Duusu's first reaction at his miraculous being repaired as well as his experience after that.

As the kwami of emotion Duusu has always been, well... emotional. His own emotions are strong, and his expressional nature makes them crystal clear for the world to see. That doesn't mean he can't control them, he can and is capable of doing his work no matter how he feels. He can be utterly happy or crying his eyes out in sadness, but he always makes sure to do a good job, supporting his chosen and making sure that the brooch is being used the right way. 

Well at least in general. But there was a time when he felt... something. He wasn't able to determine what it was, but he just knew something was **off** , like a puzzle with a missing piece. A piece he had never been able to find. No matter how hard he tried, the answer never came, so he simply stopped thinking about it, he let it go. And he was fine that way, he helped his chosens, he even saw Nooro again! Yeah, he was fine. 

And then, **_he_** repaired his miraculous, and he wasn't fine anymore. 

It was like the fog being lifted, or a blindfold finally falling from your eyes. After so many years, Duusu finally found the puzzle piece, and the truth crushed him like a cold water bucket.

In mere seconds he remembered everything since his miraculous was broken, now he knew what was missing. The damage of the brooch was also affecting him, he stopped to feel others emotions the same way he always had, he couldn't sense their auras, nor could read their hearts. Much like his holders, he just could sense the emotions that got stronger. His own emotions were a mess, they got too strong to be normal, being the expert in feelings, he knew emotions are not just black or white, but colorful, changing and with a large spectrum of strength and depth, a wonderful mix of sensations. He knew that with happiness also comes peace, relief, or sometimes sadness, that with frustration comes anger, sadness, worry, with jealousy comes hidden secrets, sometimes hurtful ones, other times just pettiness. Emotions are complex, but his were plain, dull; when he felt happiness there were no other feelings or emotions with it, when it was sadness he just felt sadness, no sorrow, no loss, and the same with whatever other emotion he had. His emotions and feelings were so potent that he became extreme showing them, if he was happy he would scream and beam with all his energy, if he was sad he would cry full force with no consolation, if he was angry he would get aggressive. And the way he could change from one to another was unnerving. Like pressing a button or using a switch, he could be angry one second and happy the next one. And there was no middle, just one extreme or another. Because all of that he almost lost all of his empathy, he didn't remember the last time he could feel others emotions as his own, he missed it, he missed being able to understand, he missed being able to help. 

And what scares him the most, prisoner of his own chaotic emotions, he was trapped inside this cage of powerful feelings, away from reality. The part of him that was rational, that was calm and thoughtful was lost deep down in his core. The damage of his miraculous keep him from seeing the world as how it truly was, he saw the love but not the sacrifices, he saw the sorrow but not the negation, he saw the grief but not the danger.

And then... it hit him _hard_ , he didn't see the darkness that was rising in Gabriel, he missed the way Nooro was being treated, like a slave. He missed the way _**him**_ was being **used** , to **hurt** others, to **take advantage of** their negative emotions, when they were vulnerable, and for what? For a wish that was personal, a wish that he once thought was romantic but now, _now_ he can see how selfish Gabriel was being. Selfish with his son, selfish with the whole Paris, selfish with _Nathalie_ and... selfish with **_her._**

And was all **his** fault. **His** miraculous was broken, _**he**_ was **_broken_** , and because of that Emily is in a coma that she probably would not awake from. 

In that moment his emotions were like a whirlwind, fast, confusing... overwhelming. He almost missed his new hol... his new master talking to him. Frankly he didn't remember what was said to him, too busy trying to not explode from all the feelings inside him. Still he tried to at least look like he was paying attention, a new emotion was raising in him: _fear_. Because he could see Gabriel as whole now, and could sense that something bad was growing in his heart. He was a kwamis enslaver, he could feel poor Nooro's misery now. Remembering his friend, once Gabriel stopped talking to him to talk to Nathalie through video call, he looked for him and almost cried when he met his eyes. 

Nooro for his part was very worried for his friend. He has been since learning his miraculous was broken, he knew it would has severe consequences in its holder, as well as in its kwami. Then, Nathalie used the peacock miraculous and Mayura was born, and after years he finally saw Duusu and all his worried were confirmed. Duusu... was not himself anymore, he was reckless, louder, aggressive, euphoric, changing from emotion to emotion in such a short time, he was a complete mess. It reminded him of a mental illness some humans suffer, bipolar disorder it's called if he remembers right. And it pained him deeply, seeing his friend acting like someone he wasn't, acting like a mentally ill. 

But what pained the little kwami the most was the knowledge that, once Duusu's miraculous was repaired and the emotion kwami was free from its injuries, he would be _devastated_. Duusu has always been an empathetic soul, capable of making others' happiness his, as well as their sorrow or hope. When people get hurt he was hurt as well, he hates people that makes others miserable, sad or suffer, who takes advantage of the vulnerable. Knowing that he was used for _that_ , and did nothing about it. It wasn't his fault, but knowing Duusu he would blame himself anyways. 

A look at his friend confirmed his thoughts, in the peacock kwami's face flew different emotions: confusion, realization, shock, dread, sadness, anger, sorrow and something that Nooro really hated to see in the gentle kwami, **guilt**. 

When Duusu met his gaze Nooro knew he needed to do something, even if he couldn't sense emotions the same way Duusu does, it was obvious the poor kwami was at the edge of a crisis. and if he wasn't able to calm down soon Gabriel would notice and he didn't want to know what would happen if he did. Taking advantage that his master was distracted, the butterfly kwami used his powers to connect with Duusu. The connection helped Duusu to relax a little, but before any of them could say something Gabriel finished talking to Nathalie and, without facing them, renounced the brooch and saved the brooch in a little box. 

...But nothing happened... 

He renounced the miraculous but, Duuus was still outside. That was _strange_. 

Gabriel started to walk to the elevator, oblivious to the still free kwami, and the two tiny gods felt panic rising in them. Knowing that there was no time, Nooro shooted Duusu another glance and gave a simple and clear message. 

_'Keep calm and hide, we'll talk later'_

And so he did. Before Gabriel went to the elevator Duusu hid in the shadows of the liar, as far as he could to not be spotted. 

And he stayed there, and waited, in silence, alone. Once the sky was dark and the mansion was quite he went out from his hiding place and searched for Nooro. He knew the kwami couldn't go too far from Gabriel, finally he reached the designer's bedroom, where he was sleeping. Besides his bed he noticed a nightstand with a strange box on it. Fearful he kept getting closer to the human, until he spotted his friend's purple wings on the other side of the bed. Feeling a gaze on him, Nooro turned and saw the blue kwami flying to him, as quiet as he could to no awake the designer. And there, in front of his friend after years, finally being fully aware of the world, the little kwami of emotion couldn't hold back anymore and just broke. 

Silent and thick tears rolled down his eyes, without making a sound he cried, cried for the holder he couldn't take care of, cried for the holder that almost face the same fate as the previous one, cried for all those times his miraculous was used for evil and he said nothing, cried for all the people used by his power, cried for the rest of their friends that have no idea of where they were. He just cried. 

Nooro gave his master a quick look, making sure he was deep asleep, and once confident that Gabriel would not awake he simply hugged Duusu and let him cry, getting out all of those feelings. That night the kwami of transmision just holded his friend tightly and whispered comforting words to him, hoping to lighten the sorrow. And Duusu just cried and holded Nooro as a lifeline, just wishing to awake from that nightmare. 

When Duusu stopped crying they talked about their situation, he can still remember it.

_"What happened? Why am I still out the brooch if he renounced me?" after letting all out and some comforting words from Nooro, that didn't make him feel better but was still grateful for them, the little kwami wanted some answers._

_"I don't know but, he repaired it, it should be fine!" tho, he didn't sound too convinced. But that was not important._

_"Nooro, What are we going to do? Miraculous are supposed to be used for the common good!"_

_"I know, but no matter what I said he just would not listen, the wish he wants is dangerous, but he couldn't or don't want to accept it" Despite all his mistakes, Nooro truly cared about Gabriel, he knew his master was hurt and made terrible decisions, but deep down he was still a good man... or at least that is what he keep telling himself, but even him has to acknowledge the darkness growing inside his master, still he dreaded the day the villain would has to face the consequences of his actions. Nooro kept quiet for some seconds, thinking about what to do, and then he came up with the closest they had to a plan._

_"Look, this is what we are gonna do, for now you need to keep hidden, I don't want him to know that you are free from the brooch, also... You will need to keep acting like nothing happened" He knew Duusu wouldn't like it, he neither but it was necessary._

_"What? But-"_

_"I know, but it is necessary. You don't have as many restrictions as I do, that's because they think you are ok with all of this, if they discover the reason was because you were sick from your damaged miraculous, and that now that you are healed you would not agreed with them then Gabriel will do to you what he did to me. He would turn you in... i-in a s-slave... just like me" the last part was a whisper barely audible._

_"Nooro" honestly he didn't knew what to say, he could felt the other kwami's sadness and misery but nothing he would say would make a difference, besides, even if he didn't want to accept it, he was right, contrary to Nooro, he didn't have rules nor prohibitins to follow, simply because he never said anything against his plan._

_"Even if we can't do much, every amount of freedom you have left will help us... besides I don't want you to become a slave, you already have been through a lot" He could sense his eyes watering again, he hugged Nooro. Even if he didn't like this plan it was the only they had._

_"Ok, I'll do it. Perhaps I can use this freedom and investigate a little around the mansion, anything that would help us" Nooro smiled, their situation wasn't good, but with his friend back, maybe things would get better. "That's a good idea, come here you need to rest, I'll wake you up before Gabriel does"_

_Duusu gave his friend one more hug before following him to a pillow to rest a little. Things were bad right now, but they still had hope._

╰══════ ⚜ ══════╯

That was a month ago. Many things have happened since then. Nearly two weeks or so after his miraculous was repaired Nathalie had used it to create a sentimonster with the form of Robustus, to make havoc while Gabriel was in New York. Thank kwamis he failed his mission there, who knows what would happen if he kept the eagle miraculous in his power. Since Nathalie still needed to rest Gabriel used the peacock brooch and fused it with the butterfly to become Shadow Moth. He did it around six times, and neither Gabriel nor Nathalie got sick or tired after using it, so at least he had the relief that his miraculous is not dangerous anymore. 

All the time he kept the facade, being the extremely loud, passive-aggressive kwami Nathalie and Gabriel were used to. Tho, sometimes he wished he could just be himself, at least to talk to Nathalie while she was still in rest. Differently from Gabriel, Nathalie was still free from any darkness, he knew she acted by love, but as his boss, she made bad choices. There were times when he just wanted to go and comfort her, because deep down she was hurt as well, Emilie was her friend, she cares truly about Adrien, and she really, _really_ loves Gabriel and knew very well that she would be heartbroken at the end, whether Gabriel make the wish or get caught. He pondered the possibilities, maybe he could make her see reason?

But he knew the risk was too high. No, the better was to stick to the plan until a chance came. And the perfect one came, in the form of a very important and last minute meeting with one of Gabriel's most important and trusted business associates in Germany. The issue they would discuss is crucial, for some reason he didn't pay attention to. What he did pay attention to was the fact that it would require Gabriel's presence as well as Nathalie's. Meaning they would leave the mansion alone, except for the villain's son and his bodyguard. Hearing them, Duusu learned that they would have to put a pause to the villian activity, and were going to leave his brooch in the safe. 

Perfect! He can escape while they are gone! Even better, the meeting coincidentally matched with the date of a gala party he was hosting in the mansion, it was for his foundation, he would escape during the party. Since he couldn't just cancel it, he just left Mrs. Tsurugi in charge, he also talked with his son about giving a good image to the company. He sometimes also wanted to go and just talk with the teeneger, he needed some guidance or at least an ear to listen to him and maybe a shoulder to cry on... or well, most like a presence to cry with. 

The night before they left, he went to say goodbye to Nooro. He didn't want to leave him alone, but this was their last hope, also he would be of more help outside than trapped with him. Even if he can't say anything to reveal his chosens identity, any tiny advantage was important. He wished he could bring Nooro with him but it was impossible, the poor kwami couldn't go too far from the designer, and was forbidden to touch his brooch. And even if they could just carry the other's miraculous, taking the brooch from Gabriel was unachievable, he always has it on him, the only time that he took it out was during the night while sleeping, but he saved it in the strange box he saw his first night outside his miraculous. The box has a security mechanism, if someone opened it, it would trigger an alarm, and simply damage the system wouldn't work either since that would also trigger an alarm. Gabriel is very careful and sometimes a little paranoiac. It was useless. He was sad but Nooro assured him that everything would be ok, now they have a little chance to stop him. And Duusu believed him. 

And now is the day. He is hiding in the safe besides his miraculous. Waiting for them to _finally_ leave. He has to fastly hide behind the miraculous Book when Gabriel opens the safe to put the previous Master's tablet inside it. When he closes it again he waits, a minute, then two, then five, at minute ten he peers out, the office is empty, and he has less than an hour before the party starts. He begins with his plan. 

Contrary to what many would think, Duusu is actually good at planning and carefully thinking. He is not going to just leave, no. He knew Gabriel had some resources for his mission, and he was going to take all he could away. Just as Nooro said. Every. Single. Advantage. Is. Important. During the month after he was healed he used the nights to explore the mansion, every corner and secret passage, all the rooms and windows, as well as every object that was inside the building, he memorized everything. That's how he knows that his only source of information about the miraculous are Master Fu's notes in his tablet, and that he has a copy in his and Nathalie's computer, as well in a hard drive hidden in his room. He would get rid from all of them. 

But first thing first, the security cameras, even if kwamis couldn't be catched in camera, his miraculous floating mid air could. And he doesn't want _any_ evidence from his escape. He goes to every single camera and damages it, it's easy, simply go inside them and mess up their system. When he finishes he goes to check in Gabriel's computer, just to be sure. Once positive that there is no functional camera he does the same to Gabriel's and Nathalie's computers. He makes sure to utterly destroy the memory cards, and every important part of the computers, so there is no way to rescue the notes. And if that also messes up Gabriel's work? Well, it was just karma and even kwamis are allowed to be petty sometimes. Next is his room. He goes and finds the hard drive, weighing his options and decides to flush it down the toilet. 

Peering outside the designer's room, he notices that people are starting to arrive at the mansion, Mrs. Tsurugi is with her daughter and Adrien receiving them at the end of the stairs in the entrance. The Gorilla is on the door, asking for names and letting people pass. Carefully he returns to Gabriel's office to finish his work. Inside the safe he makes sure to leave the tablet useless with no salvation of any information that would be there. Now he just needs to escape as far as he can from this place. 

He opens the safe and takes his miraculous out, then closes it again. From this point his plan is not as clear, he doesn't know where to go. The obvious option is to Ladybug, since she is the new guardian but, he doesn't know where to find her, and she would not be showing up to fight akumas soon since Gabriel would be out for a week at least. And he also doesn't know if the heroine does patrols over the city. Right now his plan is hide and wait until Gabriel returns, make an akuma and Ladybug shows up to fight it, then he could go with her, tell all he could and beg for forgiveness for letting his miraculous being used the wrong way and saying nothing, and for being able to help to defeat Hawk Moth. Or if he is lucky, he would find her on a patrol and go with the begging. Whatever happens first. 

Satisfied with what to do, the little kwami grabs his miraculous and flies to the door, opens it a little and goes out. There are more people inside, all wearing elegant clothes, he flies very close to the floor, carefully and quietly to not grab attention to himself. Once he gets outside the door he feels the most free he has felt in a long time. Outside is a large row of people in elegant outfits, waiting to enter the gala, they were busy talking among themselves, there is a large and open space between the mansion and the gate, but it is crowded enough that nobody would notice him, besides there are some flower arrangements decorating the courtyard, he can uses them to hide if needed. Duusu smirks to himself and flies to the open gate as fast as he could. 

He was too relieved, soon he would be free! It is just some meters, he is almost there!

He is just about to pass the gates...

And then... 

_He felt it..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beautiful drawing was made by @Kapane_luyeshu, you can find it here: https://kapane-luyeshu.tumblr.com/post/630981611067932672/for-the-first-chapter-of-the-the-tale-of-le-paon  
> We hope you like this first chapter!


	2. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duusu escapes from his torment thanks to a certain writer. The gaters start to move, and fate shows just the beggining of a large path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We would like to thank especially to @Crystal_Raindrops for beta reading this chapter! Thank you <3 you are a lifesaver!!!

Duusu stops dead in his tracks, the kwami of emotion remaining still. He needs to make sure that what he feels is real and not his imagination. With amazement, he concludes that it  _ is _ . The feeling is warm and it makes him feel like everything is going to be alright. It feels like, like... _ home _ . He can remember the last time he felt like this, with his first holder. He was his perfect match, compassionate and so,  _ so _ kind. He starts to feel nostalgic and his eyes water a little. Something is different however—this feels stronger somehow. 

He hides behind the nearest flower arrangement, trying to decide what to do. On the one hand he’s just meters from freedom—he only needs to find Ladybug and he’ll be safe—but on the other hand something inside of him wants to stay and find the source of that wonderful aura. It feels like it’s calling to him, like a voice shouting  **_stay, find me_ ** . 

Sensing the source moving away, the little kwami makes his decision. Against his better judgement, he turns towards the gala and goes through the row again, using the decorations to hide and concentrate on finding the source of the call. 

As he gets closer to the middle of the row he can feel the sensation getting stronger. Just some meters from the front door he stops. The source of the aura is near, he can feel it. 

He hides behind a decoration to observe the line of teenagers in front of him. There’s a funny looking guy in a tuxedo, glasses, and a red cap. He stands next to a girl who's similarly bespectacled. Behind them there are two girls, one tall with dark hair and bangs, the other short with blond, pixie hair. He notices the rest of the teens—all of which have a nice aura—but none of them are the one he’s looking for. He’s about to move a little further, hoping that the source is a couple of people ahead, when he sees  _ him _ . Immediately, he knows he’s found it. 

Standing at the end of the line, the boy is thin, with pitch black hair, light makeup, and a pink mouth. He wears formal clothes which compliment his delicate, almost feminine features. What really catches Duusu’s attention, however, are the boy’s eyes. They’re a bright emerald green, some of the most beautiful he’s ever seen. 

The little god is fond of the human expression, “ _the_ _eyes are the mirror of the soul.”_ He loves it because it’s very true, especially for someone like him, able see and sense so much more than humans do. He can see the soul's reflection in the eyes, read hearts, and sense auras, and this boy, he has such a gorgeous soul, a heart that is truthful and his aura is so warm and tender. It’s overwhelming in the best way. 

Just looking at him is enough to know  _ this boy _ is who he’s looking for. He can sense that warm feeling that makes him feel calm and safe flowing directly from him. The call inside him is even stronger now, telling him that he needs to stay with him, that he  _ belongs _ with him. 

Not knowing what to do, his plan long forgotten, Duusu stares in awe at this...  _ angel _ . He can’t think of any other way to refer to this boy. As he moves up through the line, the kwami follows him almost automatically. 

While staring at him, the kwami notices a few things. For starters he can feel that the boy is nervous, and it’s because of the people around him.  _ Hummm _ , Duusu thinks,  _ maybe he doesn't like parties? Or crowds? Or both? _ He also notices that, despite all his nervousness, he feels safe enough, the feeling thanks to the red headed boy talking to him.  _ Maybe they’re close? _ He also takes note that, unlike the other people whose voices are clear and strong, his is hushed and barely noticeable. 

Getting curious, Duusu flies even closer—just enough to be able to hear him—though making sure he isn’t spotted. And dear kwamis! His voice is so soft and sweet! He only can keep staring in wonder, wishing to talk to him, to  _ stay with him _ . He is so focused on him that he barely notices when they are at the door and Gorilla asks—somehow—for their names. This time Duusu pays attention, he needs to know his name. He  _ needs _ it. 

One by one, each teen gives their name and goes inside the mansion, and then, it’s the angel's turn. Duusu floats as close as he can to hear while staying hidden. Expectation shakes his body until, finally, he hears it. 

_ Marc Anciel  _

Suddenly, Duusu knows exactly what to do.

╰ ══════  ⚜ ══════ ╯

Marc would be lying if he said he’s totally fine right now. Parties—especially crowded ones—are not his idea of fun. All the people in one place, being loud, is just overwhelming for him. Though he will admit, at least this time is supposed to be better than the last time he was at a party in the Agreste Mansion.

Adrien had been truly happy to spend some time with his friends—something he’d never had before—which is why Marc hadn’t said anything about the loud music, but when people had started to arrive and suddenly there was a crowd in Adrien’s room he’d almost ran out. Almost. Nathaniel, bless his soul, had been there to calm him down, sticking by his side for the rest of the party. Even Max and Kim had kept him company so he didn’t feel scared and managed to actually have fun. Of course, the akuma was a disgusting surprise but the heroes had saved the day. 

This time Marc has had time to prepare himself, both in appearance and mentally, since the invitations had been given out two weeks prior. Adrien had been so excited because this would be the first time he got to spend this kind of event with his friends so of course Marc and the other guys were happy to come. 

Knowing that this is a gala—so the music will be less loud and the atmosphere a lot less chaotic—helps to ease Marc’s nerves. Of course the fact that there will be even more people than the last time, many of them important—this is an Agreste gala after all—isn’t helping his nerves at all. Thankfully Nathaniel is with him, just like before. And he can't be more grateful. The presence of his red headed crush is really helping him to remain calm. 

It’s something curious that, despite their shaky beginning, Marc always feels safe around Nathaniel. Maybe it’s because his best friend is always attentive with him, or that he’s caring and kind. Maybe it’s just because of his love for him. No matter the reason, if Nathaniel is with him it’s like everything is going to be alright, no matter how nervous or scared Marc is feeling. 

That’s why, right now, he can’t say he’s one hundred percent okay, but his hand tightly clenched on Nathaniel's sleeve is definitely making him feel better. This is something they do every time they have to be in a crowd, Nathaniel holds his hand, or if the crowd is too big he puts an arm around his shoulders or waist. If one of them has their hands busy the other holds on to the other’s clothes. Now Nathaniel has a little plate of pastries in his hands, so Marc’s hand is clenched on to his suit sleeve. 

They’ve been here for at least twenty minutes and Marc is managing pretty well. He hears the conversation between his friends, something about trying another boys’ day since Mr. Agreste and Nathalie are outside the country again. 

He’s so focused on listening that he doesn’t notice the little colorful feather making its way through his jacket pocket, fusing with the chapstick inside it. As soon as the feather makes contact with the object Marc can feel something. It’s like a kind of… connection? Maybe? He can’t explain it, it's like suddenly a force touched him. It’s strange, maybe he’s more nervous than he thought? 

Trying to ignore the odd feeling, he attempts to refocus on his friend's talk but the connection is still there and he just can’t brush it off. It’s present and… _calling_ him? When he tries again to pay attention to his friends he notices that their voices sound distant, and his surroundings are slowly fading into darkness. 

“Are you ok?” Nathaniel’s concerned voice brings him back to reality. He must have zoned out. The artist is looking at him with worry in his eyes, still holding the plate of pastries. His sleeve is still clenched in Marc’s hand. 

“Yeah, I’m fine” the writer lies. He honestly doesn’t know how to explain what he’s feeling. Nathaniel is already helping him with his anxiety towards crowds, there’s no need to worry him more over something he can’t explain. The red head doesn’t seem convinced but he doesn’t push either. 

Both of them refocus on their friends, but again Marc is having problems with it. The force is still there, like a gut feeling trying to say something to him. He doesn’t know what, but he knows it’s something good. Don’t ask him why. He simply knows that the feeling isn’t bad. Strange and peculiar but not bad. He’s trying to think of an explanation when suddenly there’s a voice. 

**_“Marc!”_ **

He turns around, looking for the source of the voice. Who would be calling him? The only people he knows are right in front of him and they keep talking about having another boys’ day. None of them seem to have called him. The girls are by themselves for now. None of them seem to have called him either. Maybe he just imagined it? 

**“Marc,** **_please come to me!”_ **

There it is again, pleading him to come. To come where? Again he looks around to find whoever is calling him but to no avail. This time he can register the voice better. It’s high pitched but sounds male. That’s strange, it doesn’t sound like someone his age. They also sound… unsure? Like they’re hesitating. 

**_“Marc, I’m right here, come”_ ** __

Once more,  _ where _ is here?  _ Who _ is calling him? This time the strange feeling thrills through his spine, resonating with the voice. Is he going crazy? None of his friends seems to be hearing the voice. 

_ “ _ **_Please, Marc_ ** _ ” _

This time he can feel that the voice is speaking  _ in his mind,  _ which explains things. Yep, he’s going crazy. Yaaaay. 

_ “ _ **_Marc_ ** _ ”  _

The more time that passes the more he can hear that high pitched voice. The awkward yet nice force is still calling him as well. He’s never had hallucinations before—not even in his worst panic attacks—so he can’t know for sure but this, despite being so surreal, …feels  _ real _ **.** The voice is so clear, and the feeling is strong and he just knows it’s there. Even if it’s just in his head. 

The voice is still talking, calling him,  _ pleading  _ for him to come, but it never said where. He doesn’t notice his hand slowly loosening its grip in Nathaniel’s sleeve. He only can focus on the voice, on the connection pulling him, every second stronger. 

Then, he starts to notice, to feel something more. Is it...  _ fear _ ? But this fear is not his, it’s  _ theirs _ . The voice’s. Why are they scared? They’re also  _ nervous _ , he can sense it. He’s been nervous lots of times before so he can relate and feels sympathy towards them. Then,  _ uneasiness _ makes its way through his body, but again this uneasy feeling is theirs. That's when he can feel and hear it, clearer and stronger, the connection, the warm feeling inside him, the voice, everything like a whole… a plea. 

_ “ _ **_Marc, come to me, please_ ** _!” _

_ _

He lets go of Nathaniel’s sleeve. 

And goes, to wherever he has to go, to the voice. His surroundings are a blur of bodies and decorations. He doesn’t hear anything that isn’t the voice, but still he’s able to move through the guests of the Gala, like he’s on autopilot. He doesn’t know where he’s going, or what path he’s walking, but somehow he knows he’s going the right way. So he keeps walking, without questions, without thinking, he just keeps walking. 

The voice and that strange force guide him outside the mansion, to the garden. He’s still walking, not entirely sure where to go, but at the same time  _ knowing _ that this is the path he needs to get there. He takes some steps more when suddenly both the voice and the connection disappear. As he comes back to his senses he notices the statue of a woman, whom he recognizes as Adrien’s mother. He knows exactly where he is. Adrien had shown him and their other friends this place before, on one of the rare occasions they got to visit him in his home. 

He looks at the statue. Mrs. Agreste was definitely a beautiful woman, and from what Adrien had told them she was very kind as well. It makes him sad to know how much his friend misses her, how much Mr. Agreste misses her. His only family are his parents—he didn’t have the opportunity to meet his grandparents—so he doesn’t know what is to lose someone. For a long time his only friends were his parents and his cat, the mere thought of losing one of them was scary and painful. So, he can’t say he knows how Adrien feels, but he can guess. 

His thoughts are interrupted by the very same voice he heard in his mind, though this time he can hear it in the real world. It’s close. 

“I’m glad you came here” 

Looking around he can’t see anyone, but he’s sure the source of the voice is near him. 

“Hello? Is someone there?” He asks tentatively, both curious and a little nervous at who keeps calling him. He gets no answer but looks around until something small shines in the corner of his eye. The shy boy turns his head to look upon Mrs. Agreste’s statue once more. Studying the sculpted stone a little more carefully this time, he catches a spot of blue over its right shoulder. His eyes widen in surprise as a little blue… thing? quickly hides behind it. 

Duusu for his part is starting to regret calling Marc. What if the boy doesn’t like him? What if he freaks out once he sees him? What if he screams? That would attract unwanted attention. Oh dear kwamis! What if he gets so scared that he  _ faints _ ?! A lot of ‘what if’s’ and worst possible scenarios flow through his mind. Why is he so impulsive sometimes? The little kwami is about to panic when Marc’s sweet and gentle voice is heard. 

“Hey, emmm… Look, I don’t know why exactly I’m here but… you were the one who called me, right?” Marc honestly doesn’t know what on earth he’s doing or to whom he is talking but, something is telling him that whoever it was must be just as nervous as he is. After all, the calling and that strange force had been strong, yet their source was hiding for some reason and didn’t answer when he asked for them. 

Maybe they need a little reassurance that he meant no harm and would be glad to help. He decides that he’s going to assure them. Even if he himself is a little bit scared too (you don’t feel odd connections and hear voices in your head everyday, and in this city that normally means that you’re about to be akumatized) if someone needs his help, if he can offer it, he will. He uses a softer, more comforting tone when he next speaks. 

“There is no need to be nervous, I mean…  **_I’m_ ** nervous too but, if you need help I’ll be glad to help you, or at least try… Please, come out, I promise everything will be fine, I won’t hurt you” 

Hearing Marc’s gentle voice helps Duusu relax a little. He can sense the sincerity of his words and the wish to help in his heart. This boy really _is_ a gentile soul. He’s right. There’s no need to be nervous. Taking a deep breath, Duusu puts his brooch aside and finally moves out of his hiding place. He flies just in front of the writer, a couple of meters between them, a plea written in his eyes. 

To say that Marc is shocked would be a huge understatement. He blinks slowly and pinches his arms to make sure he’s not dreaming. It’s one thing to hear a voice in your head and feel some kind of connection, but watching a tiny, blue peacock-like creature floating in front of you is a whole different thing altogether. 

He feels the little pain in his arm. So he’s awake, great. He may be hallucinating, but he already discarded that option in the mansion. So, forcing the shock down, he takes a closer look at the creature in front of him. 

He’s blue, with a big head and eyes, and a tiny body that resembles a peacock. Now, any other person would freak out at seeing this kind of thing but Marc is not any other person. Once the initial shock wears off and he’s capable of thinking better, the first thing that comes to mind is that this little creature is very cute. He looks so small and adorable—also peacocks are his favorite animals so that’s a little plus. He notices his beautiful tail and the three cute antenna-like things on his head. 

Then he sees his eyes. They’re so beautiful and… so...  _ sad _ . His gaze is so transparent, so pure that just a look at his sorrowful eyes is enough to tell Marc that the small being is in great distress. The writer’s kind heart can’t help but feel worried for the tiny creature. He stares at those big fuchsia gems and they stare back at his green ones. He can see so many things in them. Sadness, fear, and misery sit there. What catches his attention the most however, is a clear and desperate cry for help. 

It breaks his heart seeing someone so small looking so sad and lonely, so lost and… is that guilt he’s seeing in those sad eyes? He doesn’t know what to think of that. He actually doesn’t know what to think about any of this but his voice was friendly when it spoke into his mind. His eyes—despite the big amount of feelings—look gentle, with no malice in them. Marc is sure that whatever burden the little guy’s carrying, he doesn’t deserve it. 

Deciding he’s been silent for long enough, Marc closes his eyes briefly and sighs. He opens them again making eye contact with the little peacock once more. His emerald eyes soften and he gives what he hopes is a comforting smile. The shy writer approaches carefully and slowly. Once he’s just inches away from the creature he offers his hands and whispers, all the care he can offer filling his voice. 

“Hey, little one. I know you know my name. I’d be glad to know yours, if you’re ok with it.”

A small smile makes its way onto Duusu’s face. He slowly approaches the boy and delicately sits in his offered hands. 

“Hi, I’m Duusu.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Marc’s tone remains soft and friendly. 

“I’m sure you must have some questions.” 

“Well yeah, actually. Like Who are you? Or What are you? How do you know my name? Or How did you do the thing with the connection and your voice in my head, or…” the writer stops, realizing that he just asked a lot of questions at the same time. “Sorry” he gives an apologetic and shy smile. 

Duusu softens his eyes, he likes this boy. 

“It’s ok, I’m sure that hearing a voice in your head and seeing something like me must be quite stunning. You’re taking this a lot better than I thought actually.”

Taking a deep breath, Duusu decides to start with the basics. Even if the boy’s managed to remain calm so far, Duusu is sure he’s going to freak out once he hears about the whole villain thing. 

“I’m a kwami,” He begins, “Kwamis are kind of like gods. We represent the abstract concepts of the universe. In my case I’m the kwami of emotions.” The little peacock pauses to make sure Marc is understanding, and has to restrain a squeal at the sight. He doesn’t need to read the boy’s emotions to know he is amazed and curious. The awe is clear in his eyes and he looks so innocent. It’s adorable! 

Marc for his part is full of wonder and so many questions. _A kwami, huh?_ _This is so cool and amazing._ He nods to the little god to let him know he’s paying attention. 

Dussu swallows a little, painfully aware that his next words may or may not trigger some alerts in the boy. 

“We kwamis can grant powers to humans. To do that we use magical jewelry known as… **_the miraculous.”_ ** again he pauses, this time to see Marc’s reaction. Just as he expected, the boy is smart. He can see the slow realization showing in his eyes and emotions. 

Marc is still processing that last bit of information. This little creature can give powers to humans through the miraculous. Miraculous like the earrings of Ladybug and the ring of Chat Noir. Miraculous like whatever jewelry Hawk Moth is using. Miraculous like  **_Mayura_ ** the  _ peacock  _ themed villain. A peacock, just like Duusu. It doesn’t take long to connect the dots, and the realization slowly sinks in. It shows in his eyes and on his face, which now wears a concerned expression. 

“Wait, does this mean that Ladybug and Chat Noir have a kwami too?” He asks, “So then do the other miraculous users, like Hawk Moth or,” he swallows nervously “Or Mayura?” The tiny creature nods, visibly nervous. “So, does that mean you’re Mayura’s…” he doesn’t finish the question as a sad and  _ hurt _ expression crosses the kwami's face. He nods, keeping his gaze on his tiny arms. 

“I was,” he whispers, “I escaped… or at least, I’m trying to.” The concern grows in Marc, the sadness, the fear, and the sorrow is clear in the small being’s eyes. He doesn't want to imagine what it must have been like to be in those monsters' claws. He tries to give a reassuring smile and carefully pets Duusu’s head. 

The kwami lifts his face at the gentle touch. He indulges himself, leaning into the hand that strokes his head so caringly. Seeing that the little peacock is starting to feel better, Marc continues petting him.

“Is… is she here?” He asks, once he has the courage. Duusu sighs and shakes his head, stopping the caressing. 

“No, she’s not… as I said, I escaped and… it’s a long story.” The tiny god looks down again, bracing himself before looking up, straight into the ravenette’s eyes. 

“That’s why I called you, I need your help!” his tone is urgent, like he was begging, no, he _is_ begging him to help. Marc is taken aback. Don’t get him wrong, he really wants to help him but… supervillains are a serious thing, and he’s just… him. What can a teenager scared of socializing do against Paris’ terrorists? 

“Look, Duusu,” he says, “I, I want to help you, I really do but… why me? I’m not sure If I’m the most capable person to help you. I’m not a hero. Why don’t you go with Ladybug instead?” He feels a little bad for turning Duusu down, but he’s telling the truth. He’s not a hero. The kwami would be better off with Ladybug. 

Duusu doesn’t seem to think the same. He keeps his eyes on Marc’s and the sadness is overpowered by determination and confidence. 

“If I’m being honest, I don’t know.” 

Marc... is not expecting that answer. At all. But before he can say anything Duusu darts from his hands to behind Mrs. Agreste statue and returns holding something in his arms. It looks like a brooch. Marc immediately guesses what it is.

“Is that—” 

“The peacock miraculous?” Duusu finishes for him, “Yes it is.” He sits again in Marc’s hands and begins to explain. 

“I can’t reveal much about my past holders, some security measures about identities that kwamis are obligated to follow, but I can say that somehow I manage to escape from them. Nooro, the butterfly kwami, didn’t have such luck. We both know that any advantage against Hawk Moth is important though, so I left. My plan was to get as far as I could from them, then hide and find Ladybug but,” again he locks eyes with the writer. His gaze is firm but kind and his voice is filled with confidence, “But then I felt something. It was like a force, a  _ connection, _ and it was strong, and nice, and warm. It made me feel  _ safe.” _

“I had the option to ignore it and follow my plan,” Duusu continues, “It was the safer way, but I didn’t. Instead I chose to follow that force and find its source. Because something inside me _begged_ me to do it, to _find_ that source, a feeling told me that I _needed_ to know where that aura came from, so I did and it led me to _you._ ” Marc is too stunned to say anything. Duusu keeps talking. 

“When I saw you I knew immediately that I’d found it. The feeling got stronger, this time telling me that I _needed_ to _talk_ to you, to _go_ _with_ you. I can’t explain why I feel this way, but I know deep down that _this_ is the _right_ _choice._ ”

Marc has so many questions right now. He still feels unsure about this, but the little being sitting in his hands is looking at him with such confidence **_._ ** Confidence  _ in him! _ Duusu  _ has faith _ in him. The writer doesn’t want to let him down but he still feels doubtful and a little scared. He’s about to reply when a melody chimes from his phone. It’s Nathaniel. 

Right! He left him to find the voice.  _ Whoops!  _

He takes out his phone and an idea crosses his mind.

“Hey! Maybe Nathaniel can help us. He’s my best…” he’s about to answer the call when Duusu stops him. 

**_“NO”_ **

Marc startles at the shout. Duusu lowers his head, a little embarrassed at being so loud. 

“Sorry,” He says, “It’s just… You can’t tell anybody about me. As you can see, my situation is complicated and the less people that know about me the better.” His eyes are big and pleading. He’s obviously very worried.

Marc isn’t sure what to do. On the one hand he really wants to tell Nathaniel—he always feels better with his comic partner—but on the other hand this is important for Duusu. They may have just met, but the kwami really seems nice and his eyes are so sincere, pleading for Marc to keep his secret. He stares at them for a few seconds and sighs heavily before silencing his phone and returning it to his pocket. 

“It’s ok, Duusu, if you feel safer this way I won’t tell anybody.” his eyes are sincere too, the kwami smiles in thanks. 

“I know all of this is sudden and a lot to take in,” he says, “But thank you, I promise I’ll answer all your questions as best as I can.”

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?” the writer offers, voice soft as he caresses Duusu’s head, “Tell me everything you can, I’ll do anything I can to help you.” Though, before Duusu can say a word they hear a call. 

“MARC!” 

The writer would recognize that voice anywhere. It’s Nathaniel and he sounds near. Marc looks around to find he’s just outside the mansion. He turns so his back is facing Nathaniel’s direction and hides Duusu with his body. 

“That’s Nathaniel, he must be looking for me” Duusu takes a look over Marc’s shoulder. He can see the same red head that was with Marc in the line outside the mansion. He’s searching frantically, emotions strong enough that Duusu can sense them from all the way over here. He smiles. Yes, these two seem to be  _ very _ close. 

“He looks worried.” The kwami says. 

“Well, he knows I don’t like crowds and I just disappeared from the party,” the writer explains, just a little guilty. 

“Oh! He’s coming!” Marc doesn’t turn to confirm Duusu’s words, instead he cups his little body in his hands and brings him closer. 

“Maybe this isn’t the best place to talk. You can hide in my jacket pocket with your brooch and come with me. We can finish this conversation when I get home.” the ravenette says. This time Duusu doesn’t try to restrain his joy. He leaves his brooch in Marc’s hands and hugs his cheek. 

“Thank you so much.” he sobs and Marc uses one of his hands to return the hug, feeling happy to see the small god so relieved and vowing to do everything he can for him. He won’t let anything happen to him 

“Marc, there you are!” Nathaniel’s voice is just some meters away from them. Marc rapidly opens his jacket for Duusu. The kwami takes his miraculous and hides inside the jacket pocket where the feather was earlier. 

Once the kwami and the brooch are safely hidden in his pocket, Marc turns to face Nathaniel. He looks worried and the guilt at running off grows a little inside him. He hates making Nathaniel worry. The artist puts his hands on the writer’s shoulders and examines his face, looking for any signal of discomfort. 

“Are you ok?” He asks. Marc shrugs, looking at Nathaniel through long, thick eyelashes. 

“Yeah, I just needed some fresh air.” It wasn’t a total lie, he had wanted air. Nathaniel visibly relaxes at that. “I’m sorry for leaving like that.” Marc says and he means it. The cyan eyes soften and a reassuring smile forms on Nathaniel’s lips. 

“It’s ok, it's just… when I didn’t feel your hand on my sleeve and couldn’t find you I got worried. I know crowds aren’t your forte.” 

“Sorry.” he looks down and Nathaniel runs a hand through Marc’s hair. 

“As I said, it’s alright. But if you were feeling overwhelmed you could have told me, you know?” 

“I didn’t want to bother you.” Marc’s voice is barely a whisper but Nathaniel hears it. His hand still caresses his dark locks and he talks in a soft and caring tone. The writer feels his heart melt. 

“Marc, you’re not a bother. You’re my best friend. I worry about you because you’re important to me, just like you do the same for me.” At this the green eyed boy looks at his friend again. His smile is small and shy and he leans into the other’s touch. Nathaniel returns the gesture with a smile of his own. 

“Do you want to leave?” the artist asks. Marc hesitates. He wants to support Adrien but he and Duusu still need to talk. Seeing his confliction, the artist takes his moment to think and comes up with a solution. 

“What about this? We stay for half an hour. We can talk with our friends and you can try the food—there are some sweets that I know you’ll love. Once the thirty minutes are up we say goodbye to everybody and I walk you home. How does that sound?” 

Marc considers the offer. He won’t have to disappoint Adrien—or spend as long in a crowded place—but he still gets to talk to Duusu. He knows his answer. 

“Yeah, that sounds perfect.” His voice is still quiet but it’s louder than before and Nathaniel smiles, glad to see his dear writer better. 

“Good.” His hand finally leaves Marc’s hair and he stands by his side. Putting an arm around his shoulder, Nathaniel leads them inside the mansion. 

Marc quietly pats the pocket where Duusu is hiding to let him know that everything is going to be alright. 

Duusu, who witnessed the whole exchange, is smiling. There’s a  _ beautiful _ sentiment between the two teens. This kind of emotion is one he adores.

He feels the small pressure of Marc’s hand and the message is clear. _Everything is going to be alright_. This time he really believes it. For now, he’s still in the mansion that was his and Nooro’s cage for so long, yet he feels so _free_ and _safe_. The kwami of emotions is glad he decided to follow his instincts, sure that _this_ was the right choice.

  
With the warmth radiating from Marc’s body and aura, he snuggles into the comfort of the pocket and decides to take a nap, feeling at peace after a long time. He has a  _ very good  _ feeling about this boy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I put some headcanons in this, like the thing the boys do when they are in crowds.  
> The amazing art is from @Kapane_luyeshu <3  
> We hope you like it! <3


	3. Night Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duusu and Marc talk about some important things and Marc makes a decision that could change the fate of different people.   
> The adventure starts here!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long wait qwq but I hope you enjoy this chapter.   
> We would like to thanks @ASingleRaindrop for chekning the grammar for this chapter, we are really grateful, this is a special project and we want to make it the best we could.

True to his word, Nathaniel and Marc stayed at the party for half an hour. Marc could taste the delicious food of the buffet and, as his best friend said, he enjoyed the sweets as well. As soon as the half hour was over, they said their goodbyes to their friends, thanked Adrien for the night, and left. Nathaniel walked him home and gave him a hug before the writer entered his house. They said goodbye one more time and agreed to see each other at school on Monday. 

Once inside the house the writer sighs and opens his jacket to let Duusu out.”We are alone now, you can go out” 

Duusu gets out the pocket with his brooch and takes a moment to look around this new place, he can feel all the emotions that are impregnated in the house, he can sense loneliness, it makes him sad to think that someone like Marc is living with such sad emotion, however, that feeling is easy overpowered by happiness, love, familiar love, romantical love, agape, he can feel all of them. There is some sadness and anger here and there, but those are very weak, which is normal, good emotions are always accompanied by bad ones; life needs balance after all. He can feel a nice warmth covering all the house, he feels safety, support and one special thing: a feeling that has no name but when you experience it you immediately feel how it is like to be part of a family. It is a strange mix taking on account the prior loneliness but maybe he will be able to ask Marc about it later. 

“Your house is really cute, and it feels nice too” he says after some time of just admiring his new surroundings. Marc smiles and motions the kwami to follow him. 

“Come on, we can talk in my room” Duusu follows his new friend, they climb up some stairs and walk through a corridor until they are in front of a wooden door. Marc opens it and the little peacock is delighted at the sight. 

Marc’s room is really nice, is not as big as the bedrooms in the mansion but is big enough, the walls are painted in a pastel green color, there is a rainbow painted in what seems to be the closet, which is the same green, and on the floor there is a very soft looking blue carpet. In a corner there is a very comfy looking bed with rainbow linens, at its side is a nightstand in dark wood. He can see some things on it like a phone charger, a little music box and an electronic clock. He can also see a desk with different stationery supplies, journals, notebooks, a table lamp and a comfy looking chair. There is also a large bookshelf filled with different books, a door that he guesses must lead to the bathroom and beside the closet there is a dressing table with different makeup supplies, a hair brush and what he can see are hair accessories. He can see different posters adorning the walls, including a rainbow flag on the wall beside the bed and several different drawings as well. On the wall behind the desk there is a cork board with different papers, some photos and more drawings attached on it. If he pays more attention, Duusu can see some action figures adorning the space here and there, and what catches his attention the most is a large variety of plushies, on the bed, a very little one on the desk, one or two adorning the bookshelf… they are cute and Duusu likes cute things. 

The little kwami also feels the emotions attached to the room, he feels calm and safety, mixed with some weaker anxiety and fear; this must be Marc’s safe place. There is also creativity, happiness, excitement, joy, friendship, effort and Marc’s own kindness. 

Duusu smiles, he likes this place, looking around, still admiring while Marc silently waits for him. His eyes land on what he thinks has to be the fluffiest plushie he has ever seen (not like he has seen that many plushies before but  _ details _ ). It’s a little cat with black, white and orange fur, and it even has its own bed, just at the foot of Marc’s bed. That must be Marc’s favorite plushie if it has its own bed! 

He puts the brooch on the nightstand and flies towards the plushie and touches it, feeling the soft fur, he is liking the sensation when suddenly the plushie... starts to make sounds? Is one of those electronic things? He is still stroking the “plushie” when it suddenly moves and opens its eyes revealing a pair of brown eyes looking at him tiredly. Duusu yelps in surprise and flies fastly to hide behind Marc, who just giggles at the kwami’s antics. 

“Is okay, Duusu, Salem really liked the strokes, he'll go back to sleep in a second” he says softly to the little being looking from his shoulder. 

“Wait, so that one was not a plushie?” Duusu asks genuinely surprised, Marc thinks it is adorable. 

“No, he's my cat and my very first friend in all my life. He's been with me since he was a baby” the writer explains as he approaches his feline friend and pets him until Salem is asleep again. 

Duusu gets out from behind Marc and also gets a little closer, the cat is really cute, maybe he can meet him properly later. “Salem is a cute name” he says as Marc keeps stroking the cat’s head. 

“Thanks, I was reading about the witches of Salem when we rescued him and I just liked the name,” Marc simply states. After a minute or so Salem is deep asleep and Marc goes to his bed to sit down, they have a conversation pending. 

Duusu takes the brooch from the nightstand and flies in front of Marc, at the eyes level, this is going to be an important conversation after all. 

“Well you know the basics, I’m a kwami, I give powers with the miraculous and I was Mayura’s and Shadow Moth’s kwami but I escaped, now I’m sure you must want to know who they are but us kwamis are not allowed to say our holders’ names to others or any important detail about their identities, is a safety measurement to protect them, I’m literally physically incapable of saying anything but I’ll try my best to give some useful information." 

Marc watches as many thoughts go through his mind, what Duusu said about his restrictions about what he can say… it cuts pretty much all the important things he could ask, but at this point anything could be of help, after all, just some months ago they were able to see the villains in person; their powers and that Hawk Moth wants Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous is all they know. 

“Well… I assume their names and probably a physical description are out of question then… right?” 

“Yeah, that is about right” Duusu answers, Marc thinks for a while but he can’t come up with anything. 

“Why don’t you say whatever you can about them? I can’t think of any questions honestly” 

Duusu nods and starts his explanation. “Well what I can say is that believe it or not, Hawk Moth is not utterly a bad person.” At Marc’s incredulous look the kwami sighs, he can’t blame him but he has seen the reality of Gabriel first hand for the last month, he knows that even when he still has some darkness in him, he really believes he still has a chance of redemption. 

“I know it is hard to believe, I was very disgusted and mad when I could think clearly again, which is something we will talk about when I get there” Duusu says as soon as he sees Marc ready to ask “But even though I’m still sure he needs to get punished for his crime, you need to understand that he isn’t the devil incarnate either.” 

Marc watches in silence while processing Duusu’s words that, if he is being honest, are difficult to believe, Hawk Moth is abusing other people's feelings to make them villains, to hurt others and all for some magic jewelry for who knows what propourse, he remembers the day of Syren, lots of people were drowned that day and even when Ladybug’s cure brought them back the damage was still there, he doesn’t know if people that die during akuma attacks remember what happened since he has never died during one or knows someone who did, thanks all forces above, and even if they forget it all, the fact is people get hurt, people  _ die  _ during these attacks, a lot of properties, businesses small and big, buildings get destroyed, and the man doesn’t seems to care. 

So, forgive him if he finds it difficult to believe that someone that can easily put others in danger for his own proporses is not entirely a bad person. But, if Duusu says the guy still has salvation, well… Who is he to contradict a tiny god? 

Duusu can feel his hesitation but also his desire to understand, he is sure he will. 

“You see, the reason he is behind Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous is because he wants a wish” 

“A wish?” the green eyed boy asks with a slight concern on his voice, after all, who knows what kind of wish a man like Hawk Moth could ask for. 

“Yeah, with a special spell you can use the Creation and Destruction miraculous together to access to the ultimate power and make a wish, however this wish always comes with a price” 

Marc doesn’t like the way he said ‘price’

“What kind of price?” the writer asks. 

Duusu sees him dead in the eye “It depends on the wish but the price is always huge, the universe needs balance, to ask for something you have to give something in return which have to be proportional to the wish, for example if you wish to be healed from a disease, another person would have to get the same disease or something equally bad, and the most probable is that the new sick person would be closer to the person who made the wish” Duusu makes a pause to be sure Marc is understanding, at the boy’s nod he continues. 

“Hawk Moth is aware there is a price, but I’m not sure if he understands the real consequences if he achieves his goal” the little peacock states with worry filling his voice. Gabriel knows there is a price to pay, but he is not sure if he is aware that the price may be too much. 

“What is what he wants?” Marc can hear the worry in his friend, and he himself is very curious about what the villain wishes. 

“He wants to bring back his wife from a magical coma,” the kwami replies sadly and Marc is speechless, of all things he didn’t expect that. 

“W-why is she in a coma?” is all he manages to ask. At this Duusu’s eyes become really sad which is not unnoticed by Marc. The kwami is looking at his brooch with such a sorrowful expression that Marc is sure he almost hears his little heart (kwamis have hearts right?) breaking. 

“Hey” Marc’s soft whisper brings Duusu back from the trance he didn’t know he was in. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to” he assures the kwami, Duusu smiles sadly, it is a little painful to think about Emilie but he needs to tell Marc everything, besides the boy’s warm feelings, the worry for him, the sympathy, the care, it makes him feel better, if just a little bit. The teen is special but he already knows that. 

“No, it's fine. You need to know the whole story” Marc smiles in sympathy and offers his hand for the kwami to sit on, Duusu returns the smile and lands softly in the writer’s hands, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, he looks at his, hopefully, new holder and begins with his story. 

“Some centuries ago, the Temple of the Order of the Miraculous was destroyed by a sentimonster created by a young boy in training, he was just a child, he was tired, hungry and angry with the people that decided he had to be a guardian even when it was not what he wanted, that somehow messed up with the creation of the sentimonster, that’s why a peacock holder must be careful while creating one, the temple and everybody in it were devoured by the sentimonster and the only survivor was the young boy who escaped with the box he was guarding and one of the grimoires, a book with all the information about the miraculous.” 

The kwami takes a pause which Marc uses to confirm something “It is the same temple that reappeared when Ladybug defeated the akuma that looked like a giant blue thing with a mouth?” 

“Yeah, that's it. When I discovered the temple and the order were back I was really happy, all those lives and miraculous are back now” the kwami states feeling a little better. 

“Well, where I was… Oh yeah. The boy, who was until the Miracle Queen incident the last guardian alive, escaped with the grimoire and the Chinese Miracle Box. However, during his escape he lost the book along with the butterfly and peacock miraculous.” 

Duusu makes another pause, here comes the part he doesn’t like. “The miraculous and the book were lost for almost 200 years and during that time, somehow, the peacock brooch was broken.” The being’s voice cracks a little at the last part, Marc knowing that his friend likes strokes uses his index finger to pet his head hoping to bring some comfort into Duusu, he doesn’t know what are the consequences of a broken miraculous but by the look on Duusu’s face it must be really bad. 

Duusu is grateful for the gesture, he indulges himself into the gentle touch before continuing “One day the lost objects were found by a group of three, two ladies and a man.” The kwami takes another pause and sighs. “For some time they kept the miraculous inactive and I don’t know what happened during that time really, but one day one of the ladies used my brooch and after almost 200 years I woke up into the real world” 

“She was the wife of the same man that now is Hawk Moth. She was a very kind and caring woman, she used my miraculous because she was curious about it, then she used it because she just wanted to help others, she wanted to keep her anonymity so she made sure that neither she nor her sentimonsters were ever seen. However it had its consequences. My brooch was broken and a broken miraculous is dangerous.”

Marc listens carefully, in shock and with a mix of feelings, he looks Duusu’s face getting sadder and guilt forming in his eyes. “A broken miraculous can affect its holder and its kwami, for my part the damage in the miraculous made me… unstable, all my emotion became plain, volatile, too simple and too intense, I could change from angry to happy in one second, I became loud and even aggressive.” Duusu’s voice became more shivering and Marc could tell the little kwami is holding back tears. “I couldn’t sense emotions the same way I did, I lost most of my empathy… I-I couldn’t recognize myself.” Tears start to fall from those fuschia eyes, Marc brings his friend closer to his chest and hugs him, Duusu cries letting himself be involved in the calm of Marc’s kind feelings. Both of them stay in silence. 

After some minutes Duusu feels better enough to keep going with the story. “I was not myself, I didn’t even know something was wrong until the miraculous was repaired. It was bad but the damage to the holder is even worse; the injuries of the miraculous become the injuries of the holder’s soul as well. The holder, the kwami, they also break like the miraculous.” Marc brushes away more tears as Duusu keeps explaining. 

“Every time she used the brooch it would drain her energy and her life force, she was very weak after the first time she used it. At first they didn't think anything of it, maybe she was just tired. But the more she used the miraculous, the more she became sick and weak. The chest area is the most damaged area, the guardians think that is because of how near they are to the soul. Depending on how broken the miraculous is it will physically affect the whole body or just the chest area, or if it will just affect the lungs, the heart or maybe both. For her it was a general weakness and the respiratory tract, but the most affected part was her soul; every time she put the brooch on the miraculous would damage her soul as well.” 

Duusu chokes a little as more tears fall down his face, it is hard to think about her, especially when it was his fault she is now in a coma. 

“They brought her to all kinds of medics but they could only relieve the symptoms and they never found why she was so sick. A problem of the soul can’t be treated with normal medication, they needed spiritual and magic treatment, but none of them knew that.”

“By the time her husband and her friend, the other lady, told her to stop transforming it was already too late, and neither of us knew that the simple fact of wearing the brooch was enough to keep hurting her, so even if she stopped being this secret hero she kept wearing the brooch until one day she didn’t wake up.” At this point Duusu bursts into tears and all Marc can do is hold his distressed friend closer and let him let it out all. 

This time it takes longer for Duusu to be able to talk again. 

“She was a kind woman, a loving person, a caring wife and mother, she just wanted to help, and she did help a lot, and nobody ever knew who helped them, and what she got in exchange? She is in a coma and I’m not sure she will wake from it.”

Marc wishes he could do or say something to make his friend feel better, but he is not sure if he could. As he processes the story he highlights some points; apparently Hawk Moth is not just a married man but also a father, and somewhere in Paris there is a woman in a coma and a child that must be mourning her absence. Again, he has never lost someone dear to him but just imagining it… he at least can understand why Hawk Moth wants his wife back. 

“It was all my fault” Duusu whispers, is barely audible but Marc heards it nonetheless. ‘ _ So this is why he looked so guilty _ ’ he understands why he must feel that way but he can’t agree with it. It's just so wrong. It wasn't Duusu’s fault. It wasn't anybody’s fault. How would they have known? Duusu seems to care a lot about this woman and is unfair that he is blaming himself for something he wasn’t even aware of. 

“It was not your fault, Duusu” Marc states firmly but gently. The little kwami looks up at his friend, his eyes filled with tears. 

“B-but-” Marc interrupts him. 

“Duusu, did you break your miraculous?” Marc asks softly. 

“What?” 

“Did you break your miraculous?” the writer repeats but Duusu looks confused.

“No, I know I couldn’t have since I was inside it all the time until it was used again, by that point it was already broken” he explains as he slowly stops crying. 

“So it's safe to assume that you don’t know how it broke in the first place either, right?” he says as he brushes away the remaining tears. 

“Y-yes, that’s right” he replies, not understanding where Marc is going. 

“Then, if you didn’t break it and you don’t even know how it broke, and none of you knew what was happening until it was too late, how is it your fault what happened to her?” Duusu… keeps silent, he never thought about it that way. 

“But…” he doesn’t know what to say. 

“Duusu, it was not your fault, you didn’t have any control over it and you said that you weren't yourself either. You were not aware that your miraculous was broken until it was repaired so there is no way you could have said something either, Duusu… It was  **_not your fault._ ** ” 

The little kwami can just stare in awe at this boy, he can feel the sincerity in his words, the sympathy from his heart and he can feel some moisture in his eyes again, they stay in silence for some minutes. How many? Who knows? But the silence is nice, until the peacock feels ready to talk again. 

“Well, that is her story, after she fell into the coma her husband and her friend became really sad, they put my brooch away so what comes next is what Nooroo told me, after some months of mourning the man finally remembered the other miraculous they had, the butterfly. He woke up Nooroo and asked him about the powers of the miraculous and the wish. Nooroo tried to warn him about the bad use of a miraculous, after all the miraculous are supposed to be used for good and not for selfish or personal reasons. But he didn’t listen and, well… you know the rest of the story.” 

Marc stays in silence just for some seconds to process everything and formulate his answer. “I see, I mean he has a big reason to want that wish, and he seems like he really loves his wife. And the way you refer to her, she seems like a really good woman.” 

“Oh! She was! Even when I was not in my right mind she was always so patient and kind with me, she never used the miraculous for personal gain, she just used it for help and didn’t even claim credit for it” the kwami speaks with fondness, Marc’s eyes soften and he gives his friend a sad smile. 

“I’m so sorry for what happened to her.” Duusu returns a smile of his own, it still hurts but it also feels nice to talk to someone about it. 

“I know Hawk Moth must really miss her, I can’t even imagine about her son. It's unfair how she ended up in a coma but… you said the wish comes with a price that must keep the balance in the universe. So if he wishes for her to wake up from the coma another person must fall into a coma in exchange… right?” Marc asks, already connecting some dots. 

“Yes, and the most probable is that either himself or a person equally important for him would be the one to take her place” the kwami says as a matter of fact… Marc doesn’t like where this is going. 

“B-but… Hawk Moth knows this?” Duusu just stares at him and sighs almost tired. 

“At this point I’m not sure, he does know there is a price to pay but I’m not sure how much he is aware of the consequences of that wish.” 

“So let me get this straight, Hawk Moth is after the miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir because he wants a wish that would bring his wife back, however that wish comes with a dangerous and high price that would harm an innocent person… not to mention all the innocent people who are already hurt by his attempts. But he doesn’t seem to care about them, does he?” 

Duusu just sighs again “Yeah, that sounds about right… except for the last part… from what Nooroo told me, Hawk Moth  _ does _ have a limit on what he is willing to do but… he is not too remorseful since he thinks that he can fix everything with the wish. Besides… that limit seems to get higher with every failure. With each loss, the darkness in his heart keeps growing.” 

Yeah, he doesn’t like this. At all. 

Before he can ask another thing a small growl interrupts him, he looks at Duusu wide eyed, the kwami for his part looks slightly embarrassed, the growl comes from his stomach apparently. 

“Uhhh… Duusu are you hungry?” he asks and the kwami simply nods his head. 

“Yeah, you see before escaping I had to hide unless my miraculous was being used, otherwise they would notice for some reason I’m free from the miraculous and that would be bad. So I had to be very careful and that includes what I ate, it would be suspicious if food started to disappear so I couldn’t take too much” 

In that statement are so many things Marc wants to ask about, but the most concerning one is the fact the Duusu apparently hasn’t eaten well for a while. He doesn’t know how kwamis work but they are living beings too, they must need to eat and Duusu really sounds hungry. 

“Duusu, when was the last time you ate?” he questions worried, Duusu thinks a little before answering. 

“Before escaping I had a little snack in the early morning, after that the last thing I ate was the weird pink stick in your pocket, the texture was weird but it smelled soooo sweet!” 

Marc needs two seconds to process what those words mean, and when he does he looks into his pocket and takes out his favorite lipstick, he opens it and indeed is what he thinks. 

“Duusu, d-did you eat my strawberry lipstick?” he asks dumbfounded, as he keeps staring at the empty tube of lipstick, Duusu just by seeing Marc’s reaction can tell he wasn’t supposed to eat that. 

“Oh, I shouldn’t have eaten it, should I? I’m so sorry!” the kwami looks down already expecting a reprimand but what he gets instead is… a very tiny laugh. Wait a laugh? Duusu looks up and is met with a sight he didn’t expect. Marc is laughing, nothing loud but still merry, he looks at him flabbergasted. Is he not mad, or angry, or mildly upset? Even though he is not Gabriel, he ate something he was not supposed to. 

But he can’t sense any anger or even any small indicator of him being mad, and the laugh is warm;all the feelings that emanate from the teen are warm and Duusu honestly doesn’t know how to react. 

When Marc notices Duusu is staring at him he tries to calm down. hiding his laugh behind his hand. “Sorry, I’m not laughing at you. It's just… you really ate my whole lipstick and I don’t know, for some reason it's kind of funny?” the boy explains as the laugh fades, Duusu just keeps staring at him. 

“So… you are not angry?” he asks, still a little unsure. 

“What? Of course not! I mean, I’m not happy either since this was my favorite lipstick. But Duusu, it's just lipstick. I can always buy another one” Marc says calmly but after some contemplation he adds. 

“Though, you were right with one thing, you're not supposed to eat this. Lipstick isn't food. Are you going to be okay after eating this?” he asks, holding up the empty tube. 

“Oh!” Duusu exclaims, still dazed by the fact Marc reacted so calm at the fact he ate his favorite lipstick, even when he didn’t know, and is more concerned about him than annoyed. Maybe he spent too much time under Gabriel’s claws, Marc seems to be patient and nice, though the last he already knows. The boy basically emanates kindness, just like his first holder… He snaps out and smiles relieved. “It's okay, us kwamis can eat almost everything, besides… you should see what Plagg eats! It's gross!” He exclaims with a grimace, Marc laughs at that and looks at the clock on his nightstand. 

It is 7:30 p.m and near his house there is a small grocery store, he can buy something for Duusu and maybe a snack for him. 

“Hey there is a grocery store near here, we can go to buy something to eat and talk on the way” 

“Sure!” 

“Okay then, just let me change my clothes”' Marc puts Duusu on a pillow and goes to his closet to look for more comfortable clothes, he takes an oversized grey hoodie, black sweatpants and a pair of sneakers, he enters the bathroom and gets changed. 

As Duusu waits for him he takes a moment to think, in such a short time he'd let out more than he thought he would. It feels nice, especially with someone as understanding and kind as Marc to listen. During his time in the mansion he couldn’t talk that much with Nooroo, the risk of being discovered made him be extra careful, so having someone who he could call a friend and being able to let all those feelings out feels like a blessing. 

Marc comes out from the bathroom dressed and grabs his wallet, his phone and his earbuds so people would think he is on the phone and not talking to himself. He takes his keys and pulls his hood on. 

He motions for Duusu to hide on the hood, the kwami first puts the brooch on the hoodie’s pocket and then hides inside the hood, near Marc’s ear so they can talk. 

As he walks outside his house they retake the previous conversation. 

“So… you said something about darkness growing in his heart?” Marc asks as quietly as he can, even when the street is lonely it is better to be careful. 

“Yes,” Duusu answers equally low “Hawk Moth has done terrible things, maybe his motives are not as bad as people think but he still has no justification for what he is doing. In the end he is just a desperate man missing his wife, he took all the wrong choices and using a miraculous for evil has its consequences. The most dangerous one is the corruption that consumes the heart and soul of the holder. It’s something that at first is unnoticeable, but the more a miraculous is used the wrong way, the further they go down a dark path. If the holder keeps using it enough, they go past a point of no return.” 

Duusu hides further into the hood as a man walks past them, Marc takes the small pause to process what he said, it seems serious but he still needs to know what this darkness is doing to Hawk Moth. As if reading his thoughts, and once the coast is clear, Duusu continues the explanation. 

“The darkness eats away at the holder, consuming his essence, his heart, his soul, and with it his mind, his morals, his feelings… it’s like when you are under a bad influence, your behavior changes gradually. The holder would get less patient, more volatile, more easily angered. His view of the world, of what is good and bad gets twisted. The darkness keeps growing, rotting their spirit until there is nothing left, until they lose their humanity.” 

Marc honestly doesn’t know what to say, that is a really serious matter, if Hawk Moth is bad as he is now, how much worse he can become if he loses his humanity, if he gets consumed by darkness? 

“Ho-how much Hawk Moth has been consumed?” he inquires, fearing the answer. 

“It’s hard to tell. As I said, his limits about what he is willing to do are getting higher. At the beginning he just waited until he felt an emotion strong enough to cause an akuma. But some months ago he got tired of waiting and started to interfere, directly or indirectly, into certain situations to provoke the emotions he needed, though I don’t know how he did it.” 

Marc takes a mental note, apparently some of the akuma were caused directly or indirectly by the villain himself. 

“And he started to care less about who gets hurt in his plans, as long as it gets him what he wants, he doesn’t hesitate” the little peacock states, Marc can hear the sad tone in his voice and can’t help but think that Duusu is too empathetic and kind for his own good, part of what being the kwami of emotions means perhaps. He sighs as he enters the grocery store and starts to walk around to see what they should buy. 

“He is still in the healing stage, if he is stopped the darkness will fade away slowly until he goes back to being the man he was before using the brooch” the kwami says hopefully, Marc nods as he scans the shelf looking for something nice for Duusu. Thinking about it, there is one more reason to stop Hawk Moth, if he still has salvation and is really not that bad as Duusu said, then it is worth a try, isn’t it? 

“Do you think Ladybug and Chat Noir will be able to stop him on time?” It wasn’t like Marc to doubt Paris’s heroes, but they don’t know how much time they have and the dynamic duo just lost their team of heroes a month ago after Miracle Queen, so the fight has been harder. Also Duusu is right, Hawk Moth’s akuma are starting to become more dangerous and chaotic. 

Marc snaps out of his thoughts as he reaches the fruit section and gets an idea. “Duusu, you said you liked my lipstick right?” 

“Yeah, why?” his friend asks a little bashfully. 

“Why not eat strawberries then? I’m sure you would like them” He says as he takes a package of fresh strawberries so Duusu can see it. The little peacock smiles and if not for the small space inside Marc’s hood he would have done a pirouette, those strawberries look delicious. 

“Yaaaaay, I’m so excited to taste them!” 

Marc giggles a little at the kwami’s enthusiasm and takes the package, he also decides to buy a piece of strawberry cake so Duusu can eat a dessert too. With his huge sweet tooth it is almost an obligation for him to show his new friend some nice desserts as well. For himself he takes an instant noodle soup; he normally cooks but from time to time he indulges himself in being a little lazy and having ramen noodles instead. Besides this night has been kind of long so far. 

He also took a chocolate bar for himself. Sweet tooth, remember? 

With his purchases ready he walks towards the cashiers. “So, I think that I understand more about why he is doing this and all the reasons we have to stop him” he starts, making a little recount on his head, maybe he is not closer to discover his identity but is still important and useful information, right now he can’t think of anything that he could inquire in, so he moves on the other important matter. “What about Mayura?” 

He asks as he gets near the cashier, Duusu wisely decides to hide and talk until they leave the store. 

With the items paid and already leaving, Duusu answers Marc’s question.

“Well, she is another case, she also wants her friend back and is very loyal to that family, so she didn’t think twice to help Hawk Moth. Also…” Duusu hesitates a little, this kind of feeling is personal, but just like with Gabriel he needs to tell everything so Marc could understand better. “She… she is in love with him” 

Marc stops dead in his tracks, Mayura is  _ what? _

“Wait, she is in love with Hawk Moth?” The disbelief is very clear in his voice, Duusu giggles at his dumbfounded expression. 

“Yeah, if you see them now you would ask why, but I guess those feelings existed even before they found the miraculous and the book” That actually makes it even more incredible, because that meant that the woman that is Mayura fell in love with the man that is Hawk Moth, despite he and her friend having something already. Because if they are married there is a story behind it, and despite that she kept the friendship and is willing to cause this much damage to bring her back. 

Wow, just wow. 

At his silence Duusu chooses to keep talking “As you can see, she also took all the wrong decisions and made terrible things, all in the name of love, loyalty and friendship. She really misses her too and pains her to see the man she loves and the boy she almost sees as her own son so sad because of her friend's absence.” 

Marc stays silent, thinking about Mayura this time, the woman must be really loyal to that family if she is supporting all of the villain stuff, speaking of which… 

“Wait, but didn’t Mayura know that the miraculous was broken? Why did she use it if she knew it would make her sick?” he wonders out loud as he retakes the walking. 

“She knew very well the consequences of wearing a damaged miraculous but she used it nonetheless, because she wanted to help Hawk Moth. At first I thought it was romantic, I still think her feelings are pretty cute but… what she was doing was dangerous and I honestly think she should have more self preservation. At least the miraculous was repaired before she could get into her friend’s state, and since I escaped she can no longer be Mayura. The darkness that was also growing in her will fade away. If we are lucky, once she goes back to normal maybe she would try to talk to Hawk Moth about all of this” 

Marc is not sure if Mayura would try to talk Hawk Moth out of this; she must have been supporting him before being Mayura after all. But Duusu sounds hopeful at this possibility, he can at least wish for the better in this case. 

They arrive back at his house, he takes off his shoes and goes to his room to put on his slippers, then he goes to the kitchen and opens the package of strawberries for Duusu, he puts the cake and the chocolate in the fridge and puts water to boil for his ramen noodles. 

As he waits for the water to be ready he still has some things to ask. He faces the kwami who is currently on the table, devouring the strawberries with joy. 

“These are soooo delicious! Even better than your lipstick!” Marc giggles at the peacock’s antics and takes a seat in front of him. 

“Ok, we already discussed Hawk Moth, Mayura, their reasons and the consequences of all their actions, now… you said something about how you are free from your miraculous for some reason, could you please elaborate?” 

Duusu swallows the strawberry he is currently eating and answers. 

“This happened when Hawk Moth repaired my miraculous… I should probably give you more context though.” 

As Duusu pauses to organize his ideas Marc waits patiently, and in a few seconds the kwami explains. 

“Though a broken miraculous is rare to see, is not a first time event either, since the creation of the miraculous there have been some incidents in where some got broken, fortunately the mage that created them also made a guide about how to repair a broken miraculous, the steps are in every grimoire of the Order of the Guardians…” 

“And Hawk Moth has one of the grimoires. That’s the one that got lost with the peacock and butterfly miraculous, isn’t it?” 

“Exactly!” Duusu exclaims as he takes another bite of the fruit. 

“But, why didn't he repair the miraculous before if he already had the book?” Marc inquires as Duusu swallows. 

“Because the grimoires are written in a code that only the guardians know how to read” the kwami explains. 

Well, that really explains a lot. But if Hawk Moth repaired the miraculous that means that he somehow translated the book… which may be a problem, a book with all the information about the miraculous in the hands of a villain doesn’t sound good. At all. 

“How did Hawk Moth manage to decipher the book then?” 

“During the Love Eater attack he somehow managed to find the Guardian and trapped him, then after the Miracle Queen attack the Guardian was still trapped and about to get defeated by the sentimonster Mayura made. So in order to protect the box and the heroes, he passed the guardianship of the box to Ladybug. But when a guardian does that they will lose all their memories related to the miraculous, who they are and even the people that are somehow involved with them. After that Hawk Moth and Mayura escaped, Mayura was really weak for using the miraculous so many times, and when they were alone she revealed that she stole the Guardian's tablet which contained photos of the grimoire and notes and the translations of it. Though I don’t know how the Guardian got those pictures.” 

Marc really doesn’t like how that sounds. 

“So now Hawk Moth has access to the secrets of the miraculous?” He asks horrified. 

“Kind of, you see… the book was only half translated” Duusu assures the boy. 

“Half… translated?” 

“Yes, as I said when the Guardian escaped from the temple he was just a kid, he never finished his training so he just had the knowledge to translate the book partially. Among the things he could translate was the process to repair a Miraculous. That same day Hawk Moth repaired mine, however… Nooroo and I think something must had happened” 

“This has to do with the fact that you are free from the brooch?” Marc inquiries tentatively. 

“Yes, when a miraculous is inactive its kwami stays inside of it, like resting, or we stay in a special dimension inside the miracle boxes with the rest of the kwamis. But this is just when the miraculous is guarded in the box, we come out of the jewelry when someone wears it. When they renounce to the miraculous we return inside but… that day when Hawk Moth renounced to the brooch to guard it I didn’t return to the miraculous. I was still out.” 

Different thoughts run across Marc’s mind right now, one of them the fact that the way a miraculous works seems… unfair for the kwamis, unless the miraculous is being used the kwami has to stay inside it or in the box. Both ways seem pretty unfair if you ask him. It’s like the lamp of a genie, they only come out when they are needed. 

It seems like Duusu notices his internal turmoil. “Marc, are you okay?” Duusu did notice his friend is having some… mixed feelings right now, he can perceive them. Marc wonders if he should tell Duusu, after considering it he decides to be honest, he knows communication is key in any relationship, besides he feels this is something that needs to be addressed. 

“Duusu” the kwami looks at him with all his attention “D-don’t you think that’s… unfair?” the little peacock blinks at him, not processing entirely what was asked. 

“What do you mean?” 

“The way kwamis live, staying inside a jewelry or a box and just coming out when they are needed?” Duusu never thought about it, and he honestly doesn’t know what opinion to create. 

“I… I don’t know. Us kwamis are here to serve our holders and it has been like that since the miraculous were created” the kwami states simply but Marc doesn’t feel better, quite the contrary. 

“What do you mean by ‘serve’?” he asks, hoping that is not as bad as the fact that kwamis are basically trapped inside their miraculous. 

“Well, we have to obey every single command of our holders, we are literally incapable of disobeying” 

Yeah, that is a lot worse. 

“Incapable of disobeying?” he chokes, even more convinced about how unfair this is. 

“Yeah, is part of the magic of the miraculous, we are obligated to obey every single command of our holders.” 

“But what if you don’t feel comfortable doing it? What if they order you something bad or something you are not okay with? You have to obey even if you really don’t want to?” Marc asks with a mix of worry, sadness and indignation.

Duusu is silent because the way Marc said it… it does sound pretty bad. Now that he thinks about it, it  _ is _ pretty bad, because of that obligation Nooro is a slave. Noticing that he is still quiet he snaps out his thoughts. 

“Yes… even if we don’t want to… “ he replies quietly, still thinking about it. “You are right, it is unfair” he finally concedes. Duusu puts aside the strawberry he was eating and looks down frowning, really thinking about it. It has been like that since the miraculous were created, and they all knew they had to serve their holders, they agreed to that… but they never thought about the extent of that task. 

Being physically incapable of disobeying their holders… it was dangerous and counterproductive if you think about it, like when the miraculous fell into the wrong hands. If they had more freedom… maybe things would be different with Hawk Moth. 

Wow, this is the second existential crisis he has since his miraculous was repaired. 

While he is lost in thought, Marc stands up to turn off the kettle. He pours the water into the noodles and puts them on the table. He takes his seat again and waits for the ramen to be ready. 

He looks at his little friend who has a troubled expression on his face. 

“Are you okay, Duusu?” Marc’s soft voice brings him back to the present, Duusu looks at him and tries to smile. 

“Yeah, it's just… I… I mean neither of us have ever thought about our situation and well… Now that you mentioned it, it is like seeing a truth that was in front of me but I never saw until today. It is… a lot to process so suddenly I guess” he explains. 

“I’m sorry” the writer whispers shyly. 

“Don’t be, I think this is an important matter, maybe now that the order is back, someday we could talk about it, after all the Order of the Guardians exist to protect the miraculous  **and** the kwamis” Duusu assures Marc, they stay in silence for a moment, enough so Marc’s ramen is ready and he can start to eat as well. Before Duusu comes back to eating he says something that may or may not enlighten the mood. 

“Besides, I think that if any of us have thought about it before is because most of our holders have been good people that never took advantage of us” he states, his voice calm and a tiny, hopeful smile in his lips. Marc looks at him and tries to return the smile. 

“Yeah, maybe” He says, after some seconds he adds with a more genuine smile. “I’m just glad that at least you could escape from them. But I’m still worried about Nooroo and the fact that a villain holds such knowledge” Duusu looks down a little at the memory of Nooroo, but he is sure they will rescue him, besides he has good news for Marc. 

“Yeah, I really wanted to bring Nooro with me but with all the restrictions Hawk Moth gave him it’s impossible… at least I managed to do some damage control before escaping!” The last part is said in a cheerful tone and Marc’s curiosity perks up. 

“What do you mean by ‘damage control’?” 

Duusu smirks, yeah, he  _ smirks  _ and answers. 

“Before escaping I made sure to destroy the tablet and any copy, note or piece of information that they could have about the miraculous or the order. I also made sure that no matter what they won’t be able to recover anything” he says proud of himself, Marc for his part blinks surprised but soon enough a smile makes its way into his lips.

“That was very clever of you! Now Hawk Moth is back to square one, good job, Duusu!” he praises his little friend, after that they both return their attention to their food. 

As he takes a sip of the soup he asks “Do you have any idea of why you can’t return inside the brooch?” Honestly, the boy thinks this new freedom is best for Duusu, but he has to admit that something must have happened if it is not normal. 

“Neither Nooroo nor I have any idea, we think that something must have happened when Hawk Moth repaired my miraculous but we don't know exactly what.”

Marc swallows the noodles he was munching and nods. “Well… I guess we can think about it later, for now is not like we have anything to start with.” He says, Duusu just nods and takes another bite of his food. 

After some more mouthfuls of his ramen, Marc decides to discuss the last topic they have pending. 

“Okay, we still have one thing to discuss… Why did you come with me? Why me?” He asks quietly. Duusu smiles, the most genuine smile he has made the entire night, and begins to explain. 

“If I’m being honest with you I’m not very sure myself. However, as I said in the gala, there was some kind of aura coming from you. It made me feel calm and safe, and somehow it was begging me to go with you. So I did” Marc listens carefully, a tiny smile making its way into his lips, he can recall the warm sensation he felt in the gala, it was nice and it was calling him, maybe Duusu felt something similar. 

“I don’t know why you specifically were the one who emanated that aura, but I’m glad I decided to listen to it. In the short time I’ve been with you I’ve felt more at peace than any other time since I recovered my common sense. It’s as if I belong here, with you.” his voice is soft, just like his gaze, Marc feels his own smile growing and a warm feeling on his chest. 

“Well… I’m happy I was of help, you already went through so much, Duusu. I’m just glad you’re free from them” the writer states sincerely and Duusu doesn’t think twice to hug his cheeks, the teen gladly returns the embrace with his hands. 

After that they finish their meals and start a calm chat, Duusu explains a little more about his own powers, how he can feels others’ emotions and about his special empathy, during the talk the kwami all but devours the strawberries, once both of them are done Marc cleans the table and both of them go upstairs to the teen’s room. 

Once in his room, Marc takes a seat in his bed and offers his hands for Duusu, the kwami gladly takes the offer and lands softly in the writer’s hands. 

“So, what now?” the boy asks, now he has context and a better understanding about certain things, but what is next?

“Well…” Duusu starts, he has a plan, or more of an idea, but all depends on what Marc decides. “My first plan, before knowing about you, was to find Ladybug, explain what I told you and then asking for her to let me help, give me a new holder, after all my miraculous was used for evil and I couldn’t do anything” Duusu’s voice wavered a little in the last part and he looks down. 

“It was not your fault” Marc reminds gently, Duusu looks up and offers a tiny smile. 

“Still, I really want to help to stop him, not just because of the way my brooch was used but also for her, his wife. She was a good person and a kind holder, she deserves to be saved the right way or…” Duusu sighs, he knows this possibility is very present but that doesn’t make it any less difficult “or rest in peace, depending on how bad her state is.” 

Marc can see how much Duusu cares about that woman and can understand his desire to help, but... 

“Now, what is the plan? I mean, now that you are with me. Are you still going to look for Ladybug? I’m sure we can catch her attention next time there is an akuma, we can try after the fight” He offers tentatively. 

Duusu smiles bigger and looks at him directly at the eyes. 

“Actually… I was thinking that maybe you would be my new holder!” he exclaims excitedly. 

Marc blinks in surprise, he? A hero? Like for real???? 

“M-me? A-are you su-sure?” he still asks, not very sure about it. 

“Of course I’m sure!” Duusu exclaims as he flies out of Marc’s hands and makes a little pirouette in the air. “Just think about it! The connection I felt in the mansion, the connection and the warm feeling I still feel around you, the calling! It was telling me to stay with you, so it is logical to think that you should be my new holder as well if staying with you feels like the right choice!” the little kwami explains with a certainty that almost makes Marc feel confident. Almost. 

It’s not like he wouldn't like to be a real hero, of course he does if his and Nathaniel’s comic is any indication. But to actually be one? At least in the comics he can write his character more confidently but in real life confidence is something he still has issues with, even if he has been doing better recently. Besides this is more serious than all of them thought and he really doesn’t want to disappoint the heroes, or the people of Paris and he definitely doesn’t want to disappoint Duusu. 

“...Y-you really think so? I’m not sure if I’m really the best option for a hero, I’m not a fighter.” the writer says, his voice comes out so small, he is looking down, he doesn’t have the courage to look at Duusu’s eyes. 

Duusu however, understands how Marc is feeling, he can sense his self doubt, his fear, his anxiety... As well as his desire to help, to do what is right despite his doubts. He did expect this reaction from the boy, from the first time he saw him and sensed his feelings, the boy is very insecure and anxious, but that is not a problem, they can work in that, he is sure Marc can do great things, that he can be a real hero, he just needs the right help. 

“Marc, please look at me.” Duusu’s voice is gentle and soft, Marc bites his lips but does as he was told, he meets the peacock fuchsia eyes that looks at him with understanding and care. 

“I know you have some doubts and that you are scared,” he starts calmly. Marc is not surprised, Duusu is the kwami of emotions after all. “But that’s normal, who wouldn’t have doubts? Who wouldn’t be scared? But, please, I ask you to trust me. I know you can do this.” 

Marc doesn’t say anything and there is still some doubt in his eyes and heart, so Duusu decides to tell him a little more about his past. “I want to tell you something,” he says and after making sure the teen has all his attention on him he begins. “The connection, the aura I felt, it was not the first time I felt it” 

Marc’s eyes widened in surprise “Really?” 

Duusu hums in confirmation. 

“The first time I felt it was with my very first holder, a young man, maybe three or four years older than you. The sensation, the aura, the warmth, the connection, it was all the same. He was a very kind soul; he had charisma and was always ready to help who needed it. He was also the best holder I’ve had so far; he was very creative when it came to creating sentimonsters and his talent with the miraculous! He was able to use its power in ways that no one has been able to do, and his empathy was the closest a holder has ever had to mine.” 

As Duusu talks about his first holder, Marc listens with awe, that is pretty awesome but he has to admit it doesn’t help him to feel more confident. 

“After him I never felt the same connection until today, when I met you,” the kwami continues and makes sure to look deep into Marc’s green eyes when he says that. 

“You know? I’m not the only kwami that has felt that. Others have too, but it’s just very few of us and most of those few had only felt it once. The guardians believe that this connection is a phenomenon even stranger than a broken miraculous.” 

_ That _ , that is something awesome to learn. Marc can’t help but feel really flattered to have that connection with Duusu, he even feels a little proud of it. How can he not when it seems that is a very special event? 

“The holders that share that connection with their kwamis are always exceptional, but that is not the reason why I believe you will be a great hero” Marc… didn’t expect that. He honestly thought that if Duusu is this confident in him it had to be because of the connection, but apparently the little peacock has other motives. 

“Is it not?” he asks, really confused. Duusu giggles a little at his reaction and simply shakes his head. 

“If I think that you will be a good holder is because you already have the heart of a hero, Marc” Duusu states simply and gently, the boy blinks at him, trying to process what he said. 

“W-what do you mean?” he asks, both curious and still a little skeptical. 

“Well for starters, you listened to me and let me go with you, even if I’m a stranger or not even human!” 

“But you were clearly distressed, I couldn’t just leave you like that!” Marc retorts, but Duusu just nods and smiles. 

“And you just proved my point! Marc, a hero needs more than superpowers, a hero needs to be a good person at heart, someone ready to help, someone able to share kindness and compassion and you already have all of that. I know I just have known you for some hours, but the kindness emanating from your soul, your warm aura, the desire to help, the genuine concern about someone you don’t know, your empathy and will to understand, is something hard to ignore. I know you can be a really good hero Marc,  _ especially _ a holder for my miraculous.” 

Duusu, decides to fly closer to Marc’s face, looking into his eyes “As the kwami of emotion, the powers I give are very related to emotions, a good peacock needs to understand them and be able to feel empathy, because it will help them to explore the powers of the brooch better. When you feel empathy it is easier to concentrate the emotion you are using to create a powerful sentimonster and when there is a problem it helps to understand better from another person’s perspective.” 

“I can feel you are capable of doing just that, Marc. From the moment you let me go with you, the connection is never wrong. So please, trust yourself. Because I already trust you” 

Marc stays silent for some moments, staring at Duusu. The kwami looks really confident in what he said and more importantly, he looks confident in  _ him _ . He still has some doubts, but… maybe he can do this. If a little god has this faith in him why can't he have the same faith in himself? Still not being 100% sure about this, Marc takes a shaky breath and addresses his friend. 

“I-if you say so… I think I can at least give it a try” Duusu doesn’t bother to hide his excitement as he makes a pirouette in the air and hugs Marc’s cheek. 

“Thank you so much, Marc!” The boy softens his face and returns the little embrace. 

“Though, I’m still not very sure about how exactly I could help? I just show up one day and help the heroes or…?” Duusu can sense the idea of showing up is not a thrilling one for Marc, but thankfully for him there are different ways he can help. 

“I’m sure we can think of something,” he assures his friend, Marc just nods. 

“Okay, so, what if you explain to me more about the powers and stuff?” The writer suggests which Duusu gladly obeys. 

“Well, you know the basics like all of Paris; the brooch gives you the power to sense others’ feelings, then you have to use a feather from the fan that you get with your transformation. You charge it with energy and send it to the person you chose. Once the feather makes contact with some object your champion is holding, you connect with them and if they accept you can turn their emotion into a sentimonster of your or even the person’s invention. The sentimonster will respond to the person with the feather and you can retract the feather whenever you want.” 

Duusu explains and Marc nods, just like he said, he already knew this.

“However” Duusu says, it seems there is more. “The miraculous will affect you in a different way.” he states and Marc looks at him with confusion. 

“What do you mean by that?” he asks, arching an eyebrow. The kwami makes a pause to gather his ideas and then starts with the explanation. 

“You see, I said a peacock needs to be empathetic so he can understand more and by extension use their powers better” the little being makes a pause to make sure Marc is following him. 

“But when a holder doesn’t have empathy the miraculous respond a little different to them. They still can use the powers and feel emotions but they don’t feel them in the same way a proper holder does” Marc just stares, processing the information the best he can. Seeing no sign of confusion, Duusu continues with the explanation. 

“When a holder is empathetic then the magic of the miraculous makes them susceptible to emotions. This means that the emotions you sense from others will affect you in some way. For example: if you feel someone else’s joy, it may improve your mood or make you feel lighter. Positive emotions will affect you positively, they even can make you feel better if you are sick or weak. On the other hand if you feel rage it may make you dizzy or it can give you a headache. Negative emotions will affect you negatively, they can make you feel bad or even sick, so you have to be very careful when you feel one. The intensity of an emotion can also influence how much it affects you.” 

Duusu explains and Marc can’t help but feel a little shocked, he never thought a miraculous could affect a holder that way.

“You can see this as a system to prevent the holder from taking advantage of others feelings or even dismiss them. It’s like another type of empathy, you can feel others’ emotions but this also allows you to comprehend the extent of them. Like a positive emotion will make you feel good but a negative one will make you feel bad, it’s also a way to remind you that emotions are part of human nature, and hence must be respected, so you don’t see them as tools.” 

Marc listens carefully and finds that it makes sense. If you are affected by emotions then you can have an idea about how they must affect others, so you have a better understanding to help. Besides, Duusu is right. If an emotion has such an effect on you it must be more difficult to dehumanize their nature and try to exploit them as mere tools. Speaking of which… 

“I assume neither Mayura or Hawk Moth are very empathetic then” Marc says and Duusu’s sigh just confirms it. 

“Yeah, they are not. They could sense emotions but they never affected them. So it was easy for them to just use them, not caring about their victims' feeling” Marc can recognize some anger in Duusu’s voice, he must feel very bad that his miraculous was used in such an evil way. He can’t even imagine how Nooro must feel

It’s just then that Marc truly realizes how concerning it is the way the villains have been terrorizing Paris for the last year. Since Hawk Moth appeared, nobody has been able to show their negative feelings; people had to restrain them to not be akumatized. Even if it is true that people have different ways to deal with their negative feelings, it’s not healthy to just bottle them up, not feel them. Life needs balance, negative emotions are as important as the positive ones, they are part of their humanity, they create harmony and the bad emotions, the bad moments, experiences, memories, make the positive ones more special, more cherished and valued. 

He has seen how his friends have to deal not just with the burden of having been a villain, but with the stress of trying to keep their emotions in line; to avoid all bad feelings. He has to deal with it himself too. They’re teenagers; emotions are more difficult to understand. It shouldn’t be of their concern if feeling sad would lead them to become a villain that may put their loved ones in danger. They shouldn’t be afraid that a bad day, a disappointment, an injustice or even a broken heart would lead them to the doom of Paris. It’s not healthy. It’s not right. 

Hawk Moth really needs to be stopped and if he can help, he will. 

“This can’t continue. I promise I will do my best to help.” he states firmly, a little more confident. Duusu automatically brightens. 

“I know you will, Marc. And I’m here for you!” This time he is the first one to hug the kwami, Duusu is more than happy to hug back. 

“I’m still not sure how to do it though. I’m not confident enough to go out and fight like Ladybug and Chat Noir do” Marc admits shyly, but Duusu still smiles at him, that doesn’t matter. 

“It’s okay, Marc” he says as he breaks the hug. “ We can work on your confidence over time. For now, I don’t think it is necessary for you to show up, you can always create a sentimonster that will help the heroes and command it from here, just like Mayura did.” the kwami offers and Marc is ready to accept when an idea crosses his mind. 

“Duusu…” 

“Yes?” 

“Hawk Moth, he can also feel emotions, right? That’s how he chooses his victims” he asks, his tone says he is thinking about something but Duusu can’t decipher what it is. 

“Yeah, mine and Nooroo’s miraculous work similarly in that regard. We allow our holders to feel emotions, though in Nooroo’s case it’s less effective since emotions are not his concept and you don’t need strong emotions to accept the butterfly and receive powers. The butterfly’s holders just sense emotions that are strong enough because they are an incentive to accept becoming a champion and work like a tracker when the holder sends a butterfly to look for them. The holders of Nooroo’s miraculous don’t need to be empathetic either.” Duusu explains. 

“So, he just waits in his home or lair, or wherever he is until he feels an emotion strong enough to use?” Marc inquiries as he stands up from his bed and starts to pace around. 

“That’s correct, he waits for an emotion that is strong enough so he can manipulate his victim easier, strong emotions usually lead to impulsivity and make us more vulnerable. That’s also why he just looks for negative feelings since those are easier to manipulate.” 

Marc keeps walking in circles, his hand in his chin and thinking… 

“But what if the negative emotions disappear, or become too weak? What if the victim is able to calm down before the akuma can reach them?” 

“Then he can no longer akumatize them.” 

Marc nods and stops his walking, he joins his hands and looks directly at Duusu with a serious expression. 

“Duusu, do you think I will be able to sense the victim’s emotions as well?” 

“Yes, it is possible that you may even be able to sense them before Hawk Moth since my miraculous is better at sensing emotions than his.” Duusu answers, not knowing exactly where Marc is going with this but knowing his new holder has an idea. 

“Interesting… and you say once the feather touches an object the person is holding I’ll connect with them, like how you did with me in the gala?” Marc asks as he goes to the jacket he was using in the event and takes out the feather from the pocket. 

This time Duusu just nods, still trying to guess what is happening in Marc’s mind. 

The writer for his part is processing and putting together what he knows, an idea developing in his mind. It’s like when he gets a new idea for the comic, or when a new concept or plot comes to him for a new project. If his idea works he will be able to help  _ and  _ at the same time give the heroes some spare time to arrange whatever they need in both their hero and civilian lives. 

After collecting and organizing his thoughts he sits down in his bed again and looks at Duusu.

“Duusu...” he starts very seriously and Duusu looks at him with expectation. “What if I send the feathers to Hawk Moth’s victims? Hopefully I’ll be able to reach them first from what you said, and then I can try to calm them down, at least enough so Hawk Moth can’t use them.” he shares his idea and Duusu processes it, contemplating it carefully. 

“That… that is actually a brilliant idea!” the kwami gasps, looking at his friend amazed. 

“If you manage to calm them down before the akuma can reach them then Hawk Moth won’t be able to akumatize them, there would be no fight, no hurt people, the person wouldn’t need to put up with the fact they were a villain, and Ladybug and Chat Noir would have some time to rest! Kwamis know they need it!” Duusu says, his voice getting more excited with every word. 

Then Marc remembers something. “Wait, what about the time limit? Ladybug and Chat Noir have just five minutes after using their powers, would that be enough?” 

“It’s okay, your time doesn’t start to count down until you make a sentimonster. So you will have enough time,” Duusu assures him, Marc nods and then sighs. 

“So… Do you think I can do this?” Marc asks, hope and some fear on his voice, Duusu looks at him softly. 

“I believe in you Marc, the question is… Do _ you _ think you can do this?” Marc just stares at his friend, he would be lying if he says he is 100% sure, but Duusu has such faith in him and he really wants to be that confident in himself too… 

“You will be with me every step?” He asks, raising his pinky, Duusu smiles and uses his little arm to tangle it around Marc’s finger. 

“I promise” he assures confident and proud of his holder. 

“Thanks” Marc whispers, after some seconds of silence he asks. 

“So… How does this work, exactly?” 

“You put on the brooch, then to transform you have to say: Duusu, spread my feathers, To detransform say: Duusu, fall my feathers. Your weapon is a fan, you have to take a feather from the fan and close your hand around it to charge it with energy so it can merge with an object to create the connection and create a sentimonster. To create it you just have to use your imagination or even your champion’s ideas. You will know how to do it by instinct so don’t worry about it. You can also recall the feather whenever you want. After creating the sentimonster you have five minutes before transforming back and I need to eat after every transformation. I think that’s all,” the kwami explains. 

Marc nods, making mental notes about all that. 

“Do you want to try it?” Duusu offers, Marc considers it, he has to do it sooner or later anyways, he takes a deep breath and nods. Duusu flies inside his hoodie pocket and takes out the brooch. 

“Can I?” he asks, holding the miraculous. 

“It would be an honor” Marc says smiling, Duusu carefully pins the brooch in Marc’s hoodie, as soon as the jewelry is secured in the fabric it changes in a beautiful design, is like a quill with five feathers, each one with a cute pastel color and a little detail at the bottom in green and the rachis of the feathers are gold, is a beautiful and even elegant design, Marc has to admit. 

“Awwwww is so cute and colorful! Every miraculous change in appearance depending on its holder personality” Duusu explains, Marc takes another look at the brooch, it changes according to his personality, uh? Interesting, well it is a brooch he will use just because it is cute so… yeah, no complaints here. 

“Whenever you are ready” Duusu encourages him, the boy takes a shaky breath before a determined look forms in his face. He got this. 

“Duusu, spread my feathers!” Once the last word leaves his lips Duusu is sucked into the brooch and a wave of magic rushes over him. It’s a strange sensation, but it’s nice; he can feel the magic covering all his body. It’s warm and Marc feels a burst of energy. When the wave is finished he still has a lingering sensation, he looks at himself and notices his clothes have changed, he goes to his closet and opens it to see himself in the body mirror in the closet’s door. 

He is very impressed by what he sees in the reflection, he has to admit that he looks pretty good in his new costume. 

His hands are covered in what seems to be spandex gloves, his fingers are in a pastel blue and the rest of his hands a deeper shade, making the illusion of using fingerless gloves with a little fuchsia diamond adorning the edge of the gloves. He is wearing a long sleeved bodysuit, also in two shades of blue, with lines in the same pastel blue as his fingers adorning his tights. Each line also has a diamond like the ones on his gloves. He is also wearing heeled boots, however the boots feel comfortable and he is sure he could run in them if he wants. Around his waist is something like a skirt in different shades of blue, and on the belt of the skirt is another diamond in the same shade of pink as the others, holding the skirt in place. He is wearing a blue hood with golden clasp keeping it in place, he also has a cape in a shade of turquoise that resembles the feathers of a bird, Marc notices that both, the hood and the cape, can be removed, as well as the skirt. 

Looking closer he notices he is wearing a fuchsia choker with a little blue stone as a charm. He also notices his mask, it is a domino mask in the same colors as his suit. That’s when he sees his eyes are not green anymore, instead they are fuchsia, like Duusu’s, with the sclera in a darker shade of the same color. His lips are of a pink one shade darker than his natural color and the tips of his hair are dyed in blue. He also inspects the fan that formed in his hand, is just like Mayura’s, but taking a close look he discovers he can separate the dipsticks. He does so and is surprised to see that, apparently, he can use them as darts. What is more impressive is the fact that the fan seems like it still has all his parts. Magic he supposes. 

Marc takes one more look at his reflection, all in all he looks… nice, he feels comfortable in the costume, he even feels pretty in it. He likes it. 

He looks at himself, tracing every detail of the costume, he walks around his room, feeling the heels, which are really comfortable for being heels. He takes off the cape, hood and skirt, just to see how it looks, he still likes it. He puts them on again and goes to see himself one more time in the mirror, he looks directly at his reflection’s eyes. 

What he is going to do… is something he has dreamed about. And not even his dreams are remotely near to his new reality. He really is going to be a hero. He is scared, of course he is, but he is also determined to do his best, to protect his city and his beloved ones, besides, now he has Duusu with him, and Duusu has him.

And who knows? Maybe he can convince Duusu to let Nathaniel know. He really wants to tell him not only because he is his best friend but because he really feels better with him; he feels safe and like he can be brave. He doesn’t like the idea of having to lie to him. Though, if he  _ really _ has to keep this a secret from him then so be it, he made a promise to himself to help Duusu in any way he can and if becoming a hero is the way he will. With all the implications, especially if it gets him to also help the heroes of Paris and all the people he cares about. Their wellbeing is all he wants. 

Marc sighs and closes his eyes. This is happening. This is real. This is scary and it makes him nervous. But he is not alone. He can do this… he can. 

“Duusu, fall my feathers!” He feels another wave of magic rushing over him and next thing he knows Duusu is expelled from the brooch and he catches him in his hands. His clothes are back to normal and the fan, along with the new dart he made from it, are gone. 

Duusu looks at him with expectation. “So, how was it? How do you feel?” Marc thinks his answer for a moment before speaking. 

“It was… nice, I don’t know how to describe it exactly but… it was really nice. I also liked the costume. Did that also adjust to my personality?” he inquiries. 

“Yep!” Duusu says popping the ‘p’ Marc doesn’t feel surprised by the answer. 

“Now that you have transformed we can practice with your powers. We have time since Hawk Moth is out of the city for a while.” Marc pauses at that last part. 

“How do you know that?” he asks curiously. 

Duusu seems to remember something “Oh! I never told you how I escaped!” he giggles and Marc blushes feeling a little embarrassed,  _ whoops _ . 

“Right… How did you escape?” he asks shyly. Duusu just laughs again. 

“Hawk Moth and Mayura are out of the town for work, since they don’t know I’m free from the miraculous and they just only used me occasionally, they decided to leave my brooch unguarded. I took advantage of their absence to escape and get rid of the notes about the grimoire.” the kwami explains. 

“Oh, I see” is Marc’s simple reply, he looks at the clock on his nightstand, it’s almost 10 p.m. The time flies sometimes. It’s late and he feels a little tired, it has been a long night. He looks at Duusu and offers him a tired smile. 

“It’s getting late. We can practice tomorrow and talk about other things that may be important. For now I think we both need to sleep” 

“Agreed! It has been an interesting night. And heroes need to sleep to do a good job!” Duusu exclaims, the teen just smiles again and goes to change into his pajamas, he takes off the brooch and then puts it back on his pajama shirt. He makes sure to get everything in order before turning off the lights and getting into his bed. He takes his sheep plushie to sleep and invites Duusu to rest in his pillow, the kwami gladly accepts the offer and gets comfortable on the soft surface. 

“Good night, Duusu” 

“Good night, Marc” 

The writer closes his eyes and feels unconsciousness slowly taking him away, he still has some doubts about the future, about his decision. But at least he is sure of one thing; no matter what, he will be there for whoever needs him and he is glad for his new friend. 

Duusu for his part looks with fondness as his holder falls asleep, he knows he has a long way to go, but he is sure he can do it. He will be with him every step of the way. Maybe it’s because of the connection or because what humans call intuition, but he can feel Marc is going to do great things. 

The little kwami also closes his eyes and lets himself rest, feeling excited for this new adventure and happy for meeting his new holder, his new friend. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art is from the lovely @Kapane_Luyeshu   
> We hope you enjoyed this and see you in the next update!


End file.
